Snowballing Cannabis Research Gives Policy Makers the Evidence to Work With What We Know About the Plant Instead of What We Don’t Know
During 2025 over 4 000 scientific papers on cannabis were published, most with a focus on the therapeutic benefits of the plant. Advocacy group NORML says there is enough of an evidence base for policy-makers to start working with what we know about the plant instead of what we don’t know.
Namibian Govt Admits that Prohibition Cannot be ‘Scientifically, Morally or Rationally Justified’
Namibia’s government has made a ground-breaking admission in court papers that the prohibition of cannabis cannot be justified on scientific, moral or rational grounds. The Attorney General has filed a report with the Windhoek High Court opposing the Ganja Users of Namibia’s application to have cannabis prohibition laws overturned saying its not up to the courts to decide cannabis policy, but the executive.
LHCFA Puts Limpopo Firmly on SA’s Hemp Map as ARC’s First Cultivars to Be Tested in Levubu Pilot Project
Limpopo’s ‘farmers first’ cannabis policy has gained rapid traction this year, thanks to the efforts of the Limpopo Hemp and Cannabis Farmers Association, which has wrapped up a year of action by launching its Capricorn branch and a pilot project to test ARC’s first locally developed hemp seeds.
SACCA: Here’s the Solution to the Regulatory Problems Govt is Grappling With
The South African Cannabis Club Alliance (SACCA) has announced that key cannabis stakeholders have united to present a solution to the legal cannabis conundrum facing South Africa as the country moves towards adopting a commercialisation framework. The Project Indlela plan seeks to incorporate legacy growers, cannabis clubs and government into a regional hub model that allows trade in cannabis while protecting consumer safety.
It’s All About Adding Value! Zimbabwe Looks Beyond Cultivation to Develop Cannabis Sector
The future of Zimbabwean cannabis lies beyond cultivation, it’s about adding value. This is the view of Thathokuhle Farm owner Mike Querl (pictured here), who recently hosted a visit by the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Anxious Masuka. Dr Masuka echoed that view saying Zimbabwe was entering a new phase of industrialization and beneficiating raw material was part of the strategy.
Botswana Sets Ambitious Cannabis Targets: Seeks 42 k Ton Output by 2029
Botswana Acting Lands and Agriculture Minister Dr Edwin Dikoloti (pictured here) has announced an ambitious plan targeting an output of 42 000 tons of cannabis by 2029, for both industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis, during a Public Investment Programme (PIP) presentation.
‘SAPS Involvement in Hemp Permits is Administrative Over-Reach and Should be Rescinded’
SAPS has no mandate to be an agricultural inspector and its involvement in the hemp permit process is unconstitutional, impractical and unnecessary. That’s the view of H3 Solutions’ Charl Botha who says this provision should be urgently withdrawn.
DTIC Seeks to Raise US$55 m to Create Eastern Cape Hemp Economy
The DTIC is looking to facilitate international funding for a hemp textile engineering company and two other major infrastructure projects in the Eastern Cape to kickstart the province’s cannabis economy. It’s seeking a total of US$55 million in foreign investment which it says will generate over a billion in value and create 12 000 jobs.
Mpondoland: New Msanzi Magic TV Series Dramatizes Conflict Between Big Pharma and Rural Cannabis Communities
Following the success of the African cultural heritage dramas, Shaka iLembe and Modjadji, Msanzi Magic has launched a TV series, Mpondoland, a tale of identity, power, greed, self-discovery, and responsibility – with cannabis farming at the centre.
SA Cannabis Reform: A Case of Misteps, Missed Steps, Reversed Steps, Ambivalence and Confusion
South African cannabis reform is just not kicking into gear, largely because Government has fumbled the process badly. Nowhere is this more evident than the continued shelf-life of the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act, which is still on the statute books despite repeated Government promises to amend it and a 2020 Concourt judgement that found sections of it to be unconstitutional.