It is the centre of industries that generate billions of dollars, but cannabis-policy reforms in Africa have mostly benefitted investors and consumers in wealthy countries. African countries have competitive advantages for farming the plant, says the author. The plant evolved in central Asia millions of years ago. Across Eurasia, humans began using cannabis seeds and fibre more than 12 000 years ago, and by 5 000 years ago, people in south Asia had learned to use cannabis as an edible drug. It arrived in east Africa over 1 000 years ago. Click here to read the full article