Kobus Schoeman: The Cannabis Industry That Ate Its Own—and the System Still Standing
Grow One Africa helped shape SA’s private cannabis-club model, shared its work openly and consulted hundreds of clubs—only to watch collaboration give way to copying, commercialisation & public infighting. GOA is now fighting for survival, but the digital infrastructure created through that experiment remains.
SA Steadily Growing its Medical Cannabis Market Share as it Sorts Out Quality and Control Issues
Canadian companies still dominate global cannabis exports, but MJ Biz Daily reports that South Africa has the potential to emerge as a new challenger. Ray Mariya writes that local exporters are increasingly confident they can compete on quality and standards and not just price.
Jamaicans and Malawians Arrested In Southern Gauteng as SAPS Bust Two Illicit Hydroponic Cannabis Grow Ops
A co-ordinated investigation by SAPS in the De Deur area in southern Gauteng appears to have uncovered an illicit cannabis distribution network centred around two sophisticated hydroponic facilities. Two Jamaican men have been arrested along with five other foreigners in two separate raids in the Sedibeng policing district.
So, What Caused the Deadly Oklahoma Cannabis Extraction Facility Explosion?
The massive blast at Solos Extracts at Sand Springs claimed the lives of two workers and damaged 25 buildings, and was likely triggered by an ‘active, unsafe, and unauthorized manufacturing event’ involving volatile solvents like liquid propane and butane. The facility owner is facing murder charges because it was allegedly operating illegally.
Cannabis Extractions Danger Alert: ‘Oklahoma is What Happens When You Don’t Treat Solvents With Respect’
Solvents used in the cannabis extraction process are highly flammable and demand to be treated with respect. That’s what went wrong in Oklahoma says Choctaw CEO Justin Wood. He says the key to preventative safety in processing facilities is controlling ignition sources and preventing gases from reaching high concentrations.
The Gambia’s Cops Ordered to Defy ‘Ancestral Curse’ Protecting Jinack Island’s Illicit Cannabis Farmers
Gambian Law enforcement officials have decided to defy the ‘Curse of Jinack Island’ and take action against its illegal cannabis farmers there. Jinack’s growers are said to be protected by ancestral spirits that will bring misfortune to any interfering outsiders.
Malawi has Issued 55 Cannabis Licenses This Year, Hopes to Double That by December
Malawi is on a drive to issue cannabis and hemp licenses in a bid to boost investment in the sector. Regulatory chief Chris Banda says 55 such licenses were issued in the first quarter of 2026 and the CRA hopes to issue a further 130 licenses before the end of the year.
Cilo Cybin Hit With Accounting Adjustment, Posts Shock R241 m loss for Year Ending March 2026
Cilo Cybin Ltd has posted its results for the year ending March 2026 with a surprise loss from operating activities of R241,1 million, due mostly to an accounting provision related to the reverse take over of Cilo Cybin Pharmaceuticals ahead of its JSE main board listing last year.
Four years on, SAHPRA Remains in Breach of Supreme Court Over Herbal Remedies
Four years ago, the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that SAHPRA had overstepped its powers in regulating vitamins, minerals and herbal remedies as though they were pharmaceutical drugs. Little has changed. This BizNews investigation, by Marika Sboros, digs into what’s going on behind the scenes.
Call for eSwatini to Host SADC Cannabis and Hemp Roundtable Next Year
eSwatini’s first hemp concessionaires have appealed to King Mswati III to host a SADC cannabis summit next year. Joe Mkhabela and Johan Botha of African Hemp Development and Management made the appeal when they met the King at eSwatini’s International Trade Fair recently.