Naccashe man arrested for growing marijuana

BEIRUT — A man in the suburb of Naccashe, north of Beirut, was arrested in late May on suspicion of growing marijuana on his balcony, Internal Security Forces (ISF) announced on Thursday.

In a statement, the ISF's General Directorate indicated that "information allowed the Central Drug Control Office to discover that an individual was storing a quantity of marijuana in his house in Naccashe."

During the search, which took place on May 30, "seven marijuana plants were seized on his balcony, as well as a quantity of the same substance stored in two glass containers, in addition to objects used for drug consumption."

"The necessary legal measures have been taken against him, and he has been placed in detention by order of the competent prosecutor's office," the statement read.

While several countries have adopted the legalization of marijuana in recent years, in light of its medicinal and recreational popularity, in Lebanon, its consumption remains an act punishable by law. However, the plant grows across hectares of cultivated land in Lebanon, particularly in Baalbeck and the Bekaa.