The burning of the illicit drug was carried out at Chiwengo dumping site under the supervision of police officers, judiciary representatives, district commissioner and district health office.

“The hemp belonged to various convicts but some belonged to suspects who abandoned it upon seeing police officers in their vicinity”, Kasungu Police deputy spokesperson, Harry Namwaza told MBC in an interview on Monday.

Indian hemp is an illegal product in Malawi but there has been debate recently to legalise industrial hemp saying Malawi can economically benefit from it.

According to an organisation championing the campaign Kamet, a lot of things like clothes, shoes, beauty products and medicine can be produced from Industrial hemp.

However religious bodies and other organisations fighting drug use in the country fear the legalisation will create a misconception that would confuse people in the process between Industrial and Indian hemp.