Cannabis King and boxing legend Mike Tyson has accepted the Malawi Government’s request to become the country’s Cannabis Branch Ambassador.
Cultivation and trade of medicinal cannabis has recently been legalized in Malawi and the country’s agriculture minister, Lobin Lowe, few days ago wrote the former world heavyweight champion to be the face of the drug saying “Malawi may not go it alone in this complex industry requiring collaboration.”
Tyson has flourished in recent years in the legal business of cannabis.
However, the country received criticism from the Centre for Public Accountability (CPA) – a Malawian civil society group – for bringing Tyson in to become their cannabis ambassador.
CPA argues that Tyson was convicted of rape in Indiana in 1992 before being released just three years later.
But renowned social media legal and social commentator, LordDenning QB, has trashed the CPA’s arguments on the matter saying “the mechanics of the law does not condemn Felons for good.”
“Various jurisdictions have prescribed time limits beyond which the social standing of Felons is restored. Numerous jurisdictions, including Malawi, impose 7 years after completion of jail sentence beyond which he/she is even free to run for a public office.
“In California, where Mr. Tyson stays, the period is 5 years after serving jail term. From 1995 when Mr. Tyson was released, it is now 26 years down the line. In light of the foregoing, any individual and/or organization that would still hold someone who finished his jail term 26 years ago as still owing to the community would be display uncontested ignorance on the law. We sympathize with CPA for displaying such ignorance,” he argued.
He added: “When one is pardoned on parole in a fair democracy, his/or her moral standing gets a comparative elevation as it speaks to his/her reformed good behavior. The moral appeal by CPA, therefore, to continue holding Mr. Tyson to a wall of moral incapacity fails miserably and is hereby thrown out.”
Tyson, who was released on parole and opened a multi-acre field for cultivating cannabis in California, is a senior member of the United States Cannabis Association which has opened its offices in Malawi.
Malawi’s recently enacted Cannabis Act, which has opened the gates of industrial cannabis cultivation, does not allow exportation of raw cannabis. Consequently, strategic investors were called upon to come to Malawi to establish their processing plants and impart the capacity to the indigenous people who would, in turn, roll out their similar investments.
Malawi joined, in early 2020, the list of African countries that allow medicinal use, in particular to compensate for a sharp decline in tobacco production. The production and sale for the manufacture of textiles and ropes is also permitted.
Sometimes described as “Malawian gold”, cannabis had been cultivated illegally for years.
