The Art of Leveraging a Cannabis Brand into the Mainstream: Cache Takes on the Canna Collective Challenge
The cannabis industry calls for a new creative approach from the advertising industry says Cache co-founder Marco Russolillo (pictured here), who’s Cape Town agency has just been appointed by Canna Collective to drive its market exposure. Russolllo believes the cannabis industry is poised for explosive growth which will open up new strategies for brand development.
Moroccan Firm Cannaflex Tests South African Medical Cannabis Market with World First Prescription
Moroccan firm Cannaflex has launched a new cannabis-based medicine and the first prescription of the product was to a South African patient last week. This was done through local compliance partners, Gauteng-based DRA Pharmaceuticals, and signals Morocco’s entry into the international medical cannabis market.
Labat Closes the Door on Cannabis; Sells CannAfrica and Other Non-Core Assets for R23 Million
Labat Africa has called it quits on the cannabis front and has sold Cannafrica and all its cannabis assets for R23 million to 64P Investments. After years of burning cash in trying to turn its first mover advantage into an empire, the JSE listed group announced yesterday that the sale was a done deal and that its future lay in the AI, data and tech investment sector.
African Connections: Druids Garden Mentors Nigeria’s Vie Lifestyle To Get Medical Cannabis License in Rwanda
Gauteng-based Druids Garden and Nigeria’s Vie Lifestyle are expected to be among the first licensed operators in Rwanda’s emerging cannabis sector. Druids Holdings Group CEO Cian McClelland visited Rwanda this month to formalize a partnership that’s emerging as a case study in African cannabis collaboration.
South African Cannabis Increases Australian Market Share as Exports Down Under Surge 264%
Although South Africa lags far behind Canada, which exported 62 000 kg to Australia in 2024, it has increased its market share relative to the competition. In 2024 South Africa exported 4 992 kg to Australia, significantly up on the previous year’s 1 861 kg. South Africa’s first exports to Australia in 2021 were a mere 60 kg by comparison.
Reframing the Cannabis Science and Policy Debate: THC is Not a Crime, Ignorance Is!
THC is the cannabis compound that frightens everyone because of its mind-altering capacity. But because the plant is a molecular ecosystem, it makes no sense to criminalize just one part of it. Regular columnist Charl Botha and Gavin Tonks argue that policymakers should reframe their whole approach and recognize cannabis as a mult-compound bio-resource, not a single molecule narcotic.
‘Be Bold and Depenalise Cannabis as a Way of Fighting the Scourge of Organized Transnational Crime’
The Mauritius Times has called for a review of Island nation’s approach to cannabis, saying legalization could be a way of fighting organized crime. Maritius has become an Indian Ocean hub in international narco-trafficking and the newspaper says the work of law enforcement could be made easier if cannabis was ‘depenalised’.
Namibia: Legal Woes Mount for Okahandja Ganja Case Accused
Farm owner David van der Linden (pictured on the right) is on trial for one of the biggest cannabis busts in Namibian history after being arrested during a police raid in Okahandja earlier this year. Now he’s facing additional charges relating to cattle going missing from his government feedlot contract.
The Economist: Legalize Cocaine and Focus on Deadlier Synthetics
In the wake of the recent US strikes on narco-boats in the Caribbean, that most mainstream of magazines, The Economist, argues that brute force is no match for today’s high tech drug runners and a fundamental rethink is required. It proposes that the best way to hit organized crime is by taking the profit incentive out of the product and that legalizing cocaine would be such a mechanism.
Ghana: Prospective Hemp Farmers Anxiously Await Parliament’s Decision on Licensing Fees and Structure
Hemp stakeholders in Ghana are anxiously awaiting the outcome from Parliament to find out how much it will cost and what it will take to become industrial cannabis cultivators. After four long years of preparing a hemp ‘legal instrument’, MP’s are expected to debate and decide on what license fees will be charged.