A man has been arrested during a raid on an illicit R10 million hydroponic cannabis grow op near Potchefstroom in North West Province where home-made weapons were also seized.

Botswana will diversify its diamond-dependent economy by launching into the medicinal cannabis market and exploiting its abundant sunshine, President Duma Boko said on Tuesday, 19 November 2024 in his first State of the Nation address (SONA).

In the United States nearly one-third (32%) of medical cannabis patients cite chronic pain as their primary condition for medical cannabis use, with anxiety the second most common (26.8%) followed by insomnia (18.5%).

South Africa’s vibrant cannabis club culture continues to face legal uncertainty after hopes that a SCA ruling in the THC case would provide finality. However, a last-minute out of court settlement put paid to that and the legal advice to private club owers is: tread carefully and stick to the Prince Judgement.

Judgement has been reserved in a Mbombela court case in which the eSwatini Prime Minister is tryng to gag the rebel Swaziland News, accusing it of terrorism and defamation. Part of the PM’s objection is that the paper reported without substantiating its sources, that King Mswati III is involved in the Kingdom’s illegal cannabis trade.

The Haze Club has reached an out-of court settlement with the Justice Department on its appeal court application to have private cannabis clubs legally recognized. The details of the settlement are confidential and in the absence of a court ruling, the legal status of cannabis clubs remains uncertain.

Two German nationals believed to be pivotal to the E645 million JuicyFields fraud are soon to appear in a Berlin court. However the thousands of investors left out of pocket by the complex cannabis pyramid scheme are unlikely to see any of their funds returned.

US cannabis stakeholders have cautiously welcomed Donald Trump’s return to the White House, saying the industry will probably escape the impending pushback of Biden policies. Trump does not see cannabis as a priority issue, which means current reform initiatives are likely to remain intact and that the plant is still in line to be removed from the federal list of controlled substances.

GrowOneAfrica is one of South Africa’s leading cannabis service providers and the dominant enabler in the private cannabis club movement. Based in the Western Cape, G1A has pioneered a self-regulating club model that has created millions of rand in value, over a thousand jobs and serves over 9 000 members. Cannabiz Africa publisher Brett Hilton-Barber takes a deep dive into the GrowOneAfrica story with CEO Kobus Schoeman and GM Vanessa de Sousa (pictured above).

Sika is a name that has cropped up over the past few months in the cannabis ‘grey zone’ where a number of outlets have signed up to their specialized services. Who is Sika and what do they do? Cannabiz Africa publisher Brett Hilton-Barber speaks to Sika founder and CEO Sandy Gounder to find out more

An undated press release from SAPS and SAHPRA says no cannabis retail outlets are allowed except in terms of the Medicines and Related Substances Act. It also says businesses operating under the Traditional Health Practitioners Act are illegal.

The Cannabis Expo makes a return to Gauteng in May next year. It will coincide with the Cheeba Cannabis and Hemp Summit marking the emergence of the cannabis industry from a difficult few years.