On Wednesday, Lebanese Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri announced that the legalization of the cultivation of cannabis for medical use is currently underway.
The plan comes as part of McKinsey & Co.'s roadmap to revitalize Lebanon's struggling economy, which would allow the country to grow cannabis and export it for medicinal treatments.
The politician told Elizabeth Richard, the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, that the legalization process would be done in a similar manner to "many European countries and some U.S. states," The Daily Star reported.
Within the country, marijuana is most commonly consumed in its resin form, known as hashish. A 2016 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime listed Lebanon as one of the world's top five producers of cannabis resin.
Earlier this month, Lebanon's caretaker Economy and Trade Minister Raed Khoury told Bloomberg News that legal marijuana could become a $1 billion industry in the country.
In the past, a number of politicians have called for the legalization of hashish, especially during the 2018 parliamentary elections.
Most prominently, former minister and member of parliament Walid Joumblatt - who leads the Progressive Socialist Party - has repeatedly called on the country to legalize the drug.
In August 2016, an LBCI report revealed that Lebanese politicians majorly profit from the country's cannabis industry. One hash farmer claimed that most of his customers are Lebanese politicians.
People in the country have long anticipated the legalization of cannabis, so it's only natural that the news became a trending topic on Twitter soon after Berri's announcement.
An Arabic hashtag titled "If they legalize hashish" soon began trending on Twitter, with many users turning to humor to discuss the topic.
"Is it a coincidence that 'if they legalize hashish' is the No. 1 Hash tag on Twitter?"
If this happens, will Elon Musk find an incredibly fast way to get to Lebanon?
"Lebanese Cannabis Plates" coming soon?
Including "Cannabis Salad"
And "Hash Shawarma"
Not to forget "Hash Hummus"
Will "Kif Kat" become a thing?
"As an agricultural engineer I'll become the youngest self-made billionaire"
When the time comes, the "saba7 el hashish" texts will invade your WhatsApp
Bet a program on MTV about "growing hashish etiquette" will surface
And of course, hashish printed socks
Maybe even a flag upgrade?
Lebanon's hash industry boomed during the civil war
Agriculture in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley has been around for centuries, with Ottoman pashas encouraging the industry.
At one point, hashish was even used as a form of currency. After the production of hashish was outlawed in the 1920s, Lebanon's hash industry resurfaced during the 1975-1990 civil war.
Now, two decades after the war, with worsening economic conditions and weak law enforcement, the industry continues to flourish in the country.
Under the current Lebanese law, drug use is a criminal offense that is punishable with a prison sentence ranging from three months to three years, plus a fine that starts at two million Lebanese Liras ($1,321) and can rise up to five million Liras ($3,304).
Lebanese authorities have also been accused of unjust treatment against individuals who consume drugs for personal use, as they are often imprisoned without adequate evidence.
In June, Lebanon's state prosecutor ordered district attorneys to refrain from detaining drug offenders and instead subject them to rehabilitation.
Judge Samir Hammoud issued a binding circular urging the country's prosecutors to immediately transfer drug users to the Drug Addiction Committee.