Ill-gotten Money and the Economy
37
Cannabis Production Malawi is renowned for growing the best and finest Cannabis sativa (Indian hemp) in the world. Locally known as “chamba,” cannabis is cultivated in remote parts of central and north Malawi.14 Most of the growers cultivate small fields that are almost inaccessible by road, far up remote mountain hills, hidden in bushes, or intercropped with other field crops such as cassava, maize, or sugarcane. Cannabis has long been a common crop in Africa (box 3.6), and geographic conditions in Malawi are well suited for the cultivation of cannabis; it does not require additional farming inputs, which many other Malawi cash crops do. Prices for cannabis are considerably higher than for other tobacco products (appendix B, table AB.2). Box 3.6. A Brief History of Cannabis in Africa More cannabis is produced on the African continent than anyplace else in the world. The continent produces 10,500 metric tons of cannabis herb—roughly 25 percent of world production. Nineteen of the continent’s 53 countries have reported cultivation of cannabis on their territory. Cannabis is produced in North Africa (Egypt and Morocco), West Africa (Ghana and Nigeria), East Africa (Kenya and Tanzania), and Southern Africa. The major cannabis producers in the Southern African region are South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. The majority of African cannabis is destined for the more lucrative markets in North America and Europe (ISS 2010). An estimated 38.2 million African adults, or 7.7 percent of the adult population, consume cannabis at least once a year (UNODC 2007). Both the production and use of cannabis in Africa show a long-term increase (ISS 2010; UNODC 2007, 2009). Cannabis was probably introduced in East Africa by Arab merchants. The earliest evidence of cannabis in Sub-Saharan Africa comes from 14th century Ethiopia, where pipe bowls containing traces of cannabis were discovered during archaeological excavations. From Ethiopia, cannabis seeds were carried to the south. The plant entered local cultures for both religious and recreational use. Cannabis was also widely used as an intoxicant and as medicine (in treating anthrax, dysentery, fevers, malaria, and in treating snakebites). Sources: Abel 1980; Doctors Independent Network 2010; Du Toît 1975, 1980; Laurent, 2006; UK Cannabis Internet Activists Website (undated).
While most cannabis farmers cultivate it on a small scale (less than 1 hectare), there are larger commercial cultivators, as well. Cannabis growers in Malawi are mostly poor smallholder farmers. Whole rural communities are often engaged in the cultivation of the plants and processing the harvest. The villages use black magic to protect themselves and their fields. As one individual interviewed by John-Allan Namu (2010) said, “All I need is someone to give me some magic and no one will touch my fields.”15 Most growers sell their produce from their field or homes to professional cannabis traffickers. Only a small minority of the growers take the crop to the market themselves. The cargo is hidden in cars or large trucks or transported in bags through public transportation to destinations in or outside Malawi. Police roadblocks and border controls need to be circumvented. According to a Malawian trucker who shared his experience with the authors on condition of anonymity, bribing of police or customs officials is common. According to this trucker, this could cost between MWK 150,000 (US$996) and MWK 200,000 (US$1,300), depending on the amount of cannabis involved.