Question: Cannabis in Syria was under the policy of the government of a President holding the office since when?

Context paragraphs:
Iran–Syria relations: Syria and Iran are strategic allies.  Syria is usually called Iran's "closest ally", with ideological conflict between the Arab nationalism ideology of Syria's secular ruling Ba'ath Party and the Islamic Republic of Iran's pan-Islamist policy notwithstanding.  Iran and Syria have had a strategic alliance ever since the Iran–Iraq War, when Syria sided with non-Arab Iran against its fellow Baath-ruled neighbor but enemy Iraq was isolated by some Arab countries.  The two countries shared a common animosity towards the late Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and coordination against the United States and Israel.  Syria cooperates with Iran in smuggling arms to Hezbollah in Lebanon, since Israel has attacked Syria.  During the Syrian Civil War Iran has conducted "an extensive, expensive, and integrated effort to keep Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in power."  The United States has designated both nations of Iran and Syria as State Sponsors of Terrorism and listed under axis of evil, due to their alleged terrorist activities.

Cannabis in Syria: Cannabis in Syria is illegal.  Under the policies of the government of Bashar al-Assad, many cannabis offences, from simple use to trafficking, reportedly often carried a sentence of life imprisonment.

Anne Waiguru: Anne Mumbi Waiguru (born 1971) is the 2nd and current Governor of Kirinyaga County in Kenya, in office since 22 August, 2017.  She was elected as Governor in elections held on 8th August, 2017.  Previously, she served as the first Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Devolution and Planning.  She was nominated by President Uhuru Kenyatta to the position on 25 April 2013, holding a master's degree in Economic Policy from the University of Nairobi, and having experience in finance, financial management systems, public service reform and capacity building, and governance.  She is behind establishment of Huduma Centres, places where Kenyan citizens can access government services more efficiently, as well as the 30% procurement rule, which accords at least 30 per cent of all supply contracts to the government to the youth, persons with disability and women.

Bureau of the European Parliament: The Bureau of the European Parliament is responsible for matters relating to the budget, administration, organisation and staff.  It is composed of the President of the European Parliament along with all 14 Vice-Presidents and the five Quaestors (in a consultative capacity).  They are elected for two and a half years (renewable term) with the President holding a casting vote.  Elections are usually held at the start, and at the midpoint, of each Parliamentary term.

Bashar al-Assad: Bashar Hafez al-Assad (Arabic: بشار حافظ الأسد‎ ‎ "Baššār Ḥāfiẓ al-ʾAsad ", ] ;    ; born 11 September 1965) is the 19th and current President of Syria, holding the office since 17 July 2000.  He is also commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces, General Secretary of the ruling Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party and Regional Secretary of the party's branch in Syria.  He is a son of Hafez al-Assad, who was President of Syria from 1971 to 2000.

Cheryl Miller (activist): Cheryl Miller (1946 – June 7, 2003) was a multiple sclerosis patient and medical cannabis rights activist who committed civil disobedience at Congressman Jim Rogan's office and in front of the office of former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr.  During Barr's unsuccessful re-election bid, she made a television appearance criticizing his medical cannabis policy.  She and her husband received the Peter McWilliams Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement in Advancing the Cause of Medical Marijuana at the 2003 National NORML Conference.  She died on June 7, 2003 from pneumonia and other MS-related ailments.  Her friends and supporters created the Cheryl Miller Memorial Project to continue her legacy.

Cannabis dispensaries in the United States: Cannabis dispensaries in the United States or marijuana dispensaries are a local government regulated physical location, typically inside a retail storefront or office building, in which a person can purchase cannabis and cannabis related items for medical or recreational use.  First modeled in Amsterdam in the late 1970s where they were innocently called coffee shops it would take the Americans more than a generation to successfully duplicate the idea of a retail cannabis storefront.  Unlike the Dutch coffee shops, today dispensary customers are prevented from consuming cannabis on the site of a regulated dispensary in all known markets.

Lebanon–Syria relations: Lebanon-Syria Relations were officially established in October 2008 when Syrian President Bashar Assad issued a decree to establish diplomatic relations with Lebanon for the first time since both countries gained independence from France in 1943.  Lebanon had traditionally been seen by Syria as part of Greater Syria: under the Ottoman Empire, Lebanon and Syria were included within one administrative entity.  Following World War I, the League of Nations Mandate partitioned Ottoman Greater Syria under French control, eventually leading to the creation of nation-states Lebanon and Syria.  Relations between the two countries had been strained, especially with the 29-year Syrian Occupation of Lebanon, accusations of Syrian intervention within Lebanese politics before and after withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon, and suspicions of Syria assassinating Lebanese political figures like former prime minister Rafic Hariri.  Syria officially recognized Lebanon's sovereignty in 2008.

Shukri al-Quwatli: Shukri al-Quwatli (6 May 189130 June 1967; Arabic: شكري القوتلي‎ ‎ , Turkish: "Şükrü el Kuvvetli" ) was the first president of post-independence Syria.  He began his career as a dissident working towards the independence and unity of the Ottoman Empire's Arab territories and was consequently imprisoned and tortured for his activism.  When the Kingdom of Syria was established, Quwatli became a government official, though he was disillusioned with monarchism and co-founded the republican Independence Party.  Quwatli was immediately sentenced to death by the French who took control over Syria in 1920.  Afterward, he based himself in Cairo where he served as the chief ambassador of the Syrian-Palestinian Congress, cultivating particularly strong ties with Saudi Arabia.  He used these connections to help finance the Great Syrian Revolt (1925–1927).  In 1930, the French authorities pardoned Quwatli and thereafter, he returned to Syria, where he gradually became a principal leader of the National Bloc.  He was elected president of Syria in 1943 and oversaw the country's independence three years later.

Syria chemical weapons program: Syria's chemical weapons program began in the 1970s with weapons and training from Egypt and the Soviet Union, with production of chemical weapons in Syria beginning in the mid-1980s.  Prior to September 2013 Syria had not publicly admitted to possessing chemical weapons, although Western intelligence services believed it to hold one of the world's largest stockpiles.  In September 2013, French intelligence put the Syrian stockpile at 1,000 tonnes, including Yperite, VX and "several hundred tonnes of sarin".  At the time, Syria was one of a handful of states which had not ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention.  In September 2013, Syria joined the CWC (formally acceding on 14 October), and agreed to the destruction of its weapons, to be supervised by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), as required by the Convention.  A joint OPCW-United Nations mission was established to oversee the destruction process.  Syria joined OPCW after international condemnation of the August 2013 Ghouta chemical attack, for which Western states held the Syrian government responsible (whilst Syria and Russia held the Syrian rebels of the Syrian civil war responsible) and agreed to the prompt destruction of its chemical weapons, resulting in U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry declaring on 20 July 2014: "we struck a deal where we got 100 percent of the chemical weapons out."  The destruction of Syria's chemical weapons that the Assad government had declared was completed by August 2014, yet further disclosures, incomplete documentation, and allegations of withholding part of Syria's chemical weapons stockpile since mean that serious concerns regarding chemical weapons and related sites in Syria remain.  On 5 April 2017, the government of Syria allegedly unleashed a chemical attack that killed 70 children and adults.

Supporting paragraphs: Cannabis in Syria Bashar al-Assad
Answer: 17 July 2000