Prohibitionist Iran Could Be the Next Country to Legalise Cannabis

Iran is known for its strict observance of tradition, its stringent laws, executions, and its efforts to isolate itself from the outside world so that no liberal ideas corrupt its citizens. In the land of the ayatollahs, clerics dominate public opinion, while activists do what they can to shape their future and evade the nation's severe vigilance. But something is changing there.

Maziyar Ghiabi, a professor at Oxford University who specialises in Iran's drug policies, reports that the country's leaders are considering legalising cannabis. In part, because those who distribute the product risk harsh punishments, ranging up to the death penalty. And many people are being convicted of related violations.

For some time now the country has been pursuing a damage mitigation program, promoted by, among others, civil servant Saeed Sefatian, who is calling for the regulation of marijuana. Sefatian suggests reforming policies to reduce the number of arrests, and has even taken his idea before the "Expediency Discernment Council," established in 1987 by the Ayatollah Khomeini and charged with advising the country's highest-ranking authorities.

In addition to doing away with criminal networks, the State would have access to revenue from the production and sale of grass. It is a native plant that has had a major historical presence in Iran, and regulation would particularly benefit the agricultural sector.

Although there is still a lot of wariness regarding the issue, Sefatian's proposal opens up a new and necessary debate. If Iran embraces a more open policy towards marijuana, Tehran could actually move ahead of Washington with regards to cannabis issues.