The government is studying different laws before a decision on legalizing the cultivation, sale and export of industrial hemp can be made.

The government is studying different laws before a decision on legalizing the cultivation, sale and export of industrial hemp can be made.

Responding to questions during budget consultations in Navua last night, Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said as a developing country, Fiji does not want to be blacklisted for legalizing industrial hemp.

He stresses that countries that have legalized marijuana and industrial hemp are the developed world.

Sayed-Khaiyum says they have already spoken with the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime which is helping Fiji develop suitable laws.

“For the industrial hemp, we need to make sure we have a licensing regime. Because you don’t want to get black balled by the financial institutions as they’ll say you got proceeds of crime.”

Meanwhile, Doctor Ahmed Dean – a general practitioner in Suva asked the Minister to consider legalizing prostitution, however, Sayed-Khaiyum says it is an emotive issue and needs a lot of public consultation.

He says some consultations were done in the past by the Law Reform Commission.

“At that time people felt very strongly that prostitution should not be legalized. In the same way people feel very strongly in Fiji not to have homosexual marriage. These things are matter pertaining to morality and social issues. So you need public consultation, government cannot simply introduce that.”

The mini-budget will be announced next Thursday at 7.30pm, with the debate scheduled for the next day.