China’s marijuana surprise

Despite a long anti-drug crusade, Beijing is positioned to be a major player in the cannabis market
The Diplomat (US)
Tuesday, November 11, 2014

An economic stir is happening in China, but it’s in an industry you might not expect. With more than half of the 600 relevant patents filed with the World Intellectual Property Office now owned by Chinese companies, the country is well positioned to dominate the global cannabis market. Which is very surprising for a nation where drug trafficking is still punishable by death and mere possession of the substance can result in a lengthy spell behind bars. China is uniquely poised to take advantage of cannabis production because of its strong patent control and the fact that its production of pharmaceuticals is surpassing the West.