“Cannabis as a Plant Has Been Discredited for Many Years” - MP from the CP

Cannabis, as a plant, has been discredited for many years. People hold strong stereotypes, yet it is also a useful plant. This was stated today by MP Hayk Tsirunyan during a session of the Economic Affairs Committee of the National Assembly of Armenia.

The MP noted that industrial hemp can have wide applications and be very beneficial, thus it should not be conflated with narcotics. “Cannabis has been growing in our country for so long that it can even be found on the streets. There is hemp all over Armenia; if we are so intent on fighting this, let’s gather all the hemp and burn it. It is good to fight against drugs, but what we have accepted with this law is done to benefit the state,” he said.

According to Tsirunyan, industrial hemp is particularly useful in the agricultural sector, as it also restores soil conditions. “Industrial hemp is planted in clayey, saline soils around the world for a year, as this plant does not require water; afterward, the same soil can be used to plant tomatoes for three years. It enriches the soil so much. It is a useful plant. I ask you to consider this much more thoughtfully,” he said, urging that the term narcotic should not be used in such discussions. “We need to talk and explain to our society, because people hold ingrained stereotypes; for many years, cannabis has been discredited as a plant.”