Cannabiz Africa publisher Brett Hilton-Barber spoke to Cian McLelland of the South African Cannabis and Hemp Industrial Development Association which was a key participant in last week’s ‘Last Mile’ conference and expo at which delegates began charting a way forward for a domestic medical cannabis industry in Botswana. He caught up with Mclelland again earlier this week on his return from Gaborone.
BHB: How is Botswana’s regulatory landscape taking shape?
CM: The new Narcotics Control Authority is currently being established. While that is happening there is consultation happening between government and various local and international role players, including SACHIDA and others.
BHB: From SACHIDA’s perspective, what was the main outcome of the Botswana Medical Cannabis Expo?
CM: There was good progress and most importantly an acknowledgment form all parties that dialogue is critical to help shape and possibly amend the new regulations to better fit the development of the industry. Another key outcome was the acknowledgment of landrace varieties as key to the development and local ownership of the value chains. This is a key point that SACHIDA has been promoting to all sectors of their industry.
BHB: Did you have any interactions with the Botswana government on traditional knowledge systems and medical cannabis?
CM: Yes, we met with NARDI, BUAN and the Paramount Chief, all of whom are clear that Indigenous Knowledge Systems and landrace play a key role in the development of their industry.
BHB: Do you get a sense that there’s an alternative African model developing around medical cannabis or is the emerging model one that remains based on western concepts of medicine?
CM: Yes, there is. It is slow but is moving in the right direction. Medicine and its regulatory frameworks must work on empirical data and that does not yet exist for alternative African systems. That is also why we are promoting IKS so heavily and that is a pathway for African systems.
BHB: What was the response from Botswana stakeholders to the new license fees and how are they responding?
CM: It appears that there is no problem with the medical cannabis fees, but farmers are engaging with government to reduce the fees for hemp. SACHIDA has been requested to support that dialogue by providing comparative analysis to systems and fees in other African countries.
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