- Title: N.Macedonia banks on cannabis growth to boost economy, exports
- Date: 17th September 2019
- Summary: STIP, NORTH MACEDONIA (SEPTEMBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS) CANNABIS PLANT CANNABIS PLANTS IN "OAZA" (OASIS) GREENHOUSE WITH WORKERS TENDING TO THEM WORKER IN PROTECTIVE OVERALLS WATERING CANNABIS PLANTS CANNABIS PLANTS FANS BLOWING AIR ON PLANTS (SOUNDBITE) (Macedonian) OWNER OF CANNABIS GREENHOUSE "OAZA," SLAVE IVANOVSKI, SAYING: "I do other things, too, but this is one of the most interesting, a science we see the future in, a profit with little effort - there are much more demanding businesses which are not as profitable. I think this business is very lucrative, if you do it as it should be done." FAN BLOWING AIR ON CANNABIS PLANT "OAZA" GREENHOUSE PERIMETER FENCE WITH RAZOR WIRE AND CAMERAS EXTERIOR OF PLANT, FENCE AND GREENHOUSE SKOPJE, NORTH MACEDONIA (SEPTEMBER 11, 2019) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Macedonian) NORTH MACEDONIAN HEALTH MINISTER, VENKO FILIPCEV, SAYING: "It is a great opportunity for our economy. We believe it can contribute a fair share to our gross domestic product. As a product, we estimate cannabis could generate around 1% of the total GDP, or around 100 million euros." FILIPCEV'S FACE (SOUNDBITE) (Macedonian) NORTH MACEDONIAN HEALTH MINISTER, VENKO FILIPCEV, SAYING: "We believe it is a good investment, because the investment is into technology, into something (which is) increasingly attractive to the world as research discovers new medical uses for cannabis. At the same time, new jobs are created." KUMANOVO, NORTH MACEDONIA (SEPTEMBER 13, 2019) (REUTERS) CANNABIS PLANT GROWING BETWEEN HOSES IN "KANABINOID" GREENHOUSE WORKERS IN GREENHOUSE, CANNABIS SPROUTS IN FLOWER POTS WORKER'S HANDS TENDING TO CANNABIS SPROUTS WORKERS BETWEEN CANNABIS PLANTS IN FLOWER POTS CANNABIS SPROUTS IN FLOWER POTS, WATERING HOSES BALANCING ON POTS WORKERS IN CANNABIS GREENHOUSE FAN BLOWING AIR ON PLANTS (SOUNDBITE) (Macedonian) NORTH MACEDONIA CANNABIS PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVE, KONSTADIN DUKOVSKI, SAYING: "As this is medical cannabis, not recreational cannabis, the demands of the pharmaceutical industry are quite high." CANNABIS SPROUTS IN FLOWER POTS (SOUNDBITE) (Macedonian) NORTH MACEDONIA CANNABIS PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVE, KONSTADIN DUKOVSKI, SAYING: "There's an export potential, for now at least, of around 20 tonnes. There are stocks and I think they can export 20 tonnes." SKOPJE, NORTH MACEDONIA (SEPTEMBER 13, 2019) (REUTERS) CANNABIS GREENHOUSE AND PROCESSING PLANT "NY-SK" WITH WORKER TENDING TO PLANTS WORKER WITH PROTECTIVE MASK WORKERS IN PROTECTIVE OVERALLS AND MASKS IN CANNABIS GREENHOUSE, TENDING TO PLANTS FAN AND WORKERS IN GREENHOUSE CANNABIS PLANT WORKER WEARING MASK / CANNABIS PLANTS WORKERS IN GREENHOUSE VARIOUS OF WORKER USING UV LAMP TO CHECK FOR PARASITES CANNABIS PLANTS VARIOUS OF WORKERS IN CANNABIS GREENHOUSE
- Embargoed: 1st October 2019 12:47
- Keywords: Cannabis production medical cannabis North Macedonia cannabis North Macedonia cannabis
- Location: STIP, KUMANOVO AND SKOPJE, NORTH MACEDONIA
- City: STIP, KUMANOVO AND SKOPJE, NORTH MACEDONIA
- Country: Macedonia
- Topics: Science
- Reuters ID: LVA001AX1QM9L
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Slave Ivanovski was among North Macedonia's biggest exporters of tomatoes and peppers until two years ago, when he switched to growing cannabis for medical use.
The country legalised the growing of cannabis for medicinal purposes in 2016, joining a growing number of countries to have done so or to be about to do so, such as Britain, Greece, Thailand and some U.S. states.
Ivanovski who own a cannabis plant in his greenhouse in Stip, south east of the capital Skopje, said that it was a very profitable business which had a future.
Standing by a large cannabis plant in his greenhouse in Stip, south east of the capital Skopje, Ivanovski said growing cannabis was very profitable and had a real future.
Since 2017, North Macedonia has issued 28 licenses for growing cannabis and the production of cannabis oil and another 15 companies are waiting for permits.
But so far very little has been produced and no exports have been made as producers hone their skills.
Skopje is also changing the law to allow exports of cannabis flowers.
North Macedonian health minister Venko Filipce said exports of cannabis could generate as much as 1% of the country's national output and was a "great opportunity" for North Macedonia's economy.
According to a report by Imarc, the global medical cannabis market could rise in value to $44 billion by 2024, from an estimated $13.4 billion in 2018.
(Production: Branko Filipovic, Boki Babic, Suzana Sabljic, Louisa Naks) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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