ICS 2026: Strengthening Pan-African Cannabis Relationships in the Shadow of Xenophobia
ICS 2026 organizer Sean Hocking has expressed his sympathy to two Ghanaian CEO’s who have decided not to attend next week’s conference because of the xenophobic climate in the country. He says the Cape Town conference aims to strengthen pan-African communication channels and no other African delegates have withdrawn.
Nigeria Finally Waking Up to the Potential of Cannabis as MP’s Begin Drafting a Legal Framework
Medicinal cannabis and industrial hemp production are in the pipeline for Nigeria, with the National Assembly currently drafting legislation to create a legal framework for the cultivation and use of cannabis for medical, scientific and industrial purposes.
H3’s Botha: Govt Not Acting Fast Enough to Ensure Local Ownership of Landraces, Warns of ‘Genetic Outflow’
The Government is not acting fast enough to protect its own cannabis genetic resource base and ensuring that communities ‘own’ the IP to the landraces they have been cultivating for generations. Although this is official policy, H3’s Charl Botha writes here there needs to be more urgency in implementation.
Cheeba’s Birch: Accept That Govt Can’t Move the Industry Forward, It’s Up to Stakeholders to Show the Way
Cheeba Africa co-founder Trenton Birch says it’s crystal clear that government is struggling to move the dial forward on cannabis reform. He says that puts a load of responsibility onto private sector players to keep up the change momentum and lead the way.
Cannabis Community Mourns the Passing of Medical Cannabis Pioneer Sharon Price
One of South Africa’s true cannabis legends, traditional doctor Sharon Price, has passed away. The unexpected news has sent a shockwave through the cannabis community, which will miss her healing wisdom, medical cannabis teachings and treatments and her deep knowledge of the plant.
Ghana’s Darko Pulls Out of Cape Town Cannabis Conference Because of Rising Xenophobic Tensions in SA
The ripples of xenophobia have hit the cannabis sector, with a senior Ghanaian stakeholder pulling out of next week’s ICS 2026 Cape Town conference. Mark Darko cited safety concerns for his withdrawal, which he says is in line with Ghana’s travel warnings to its citizens about staying clear of SA.