The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC)’s main focus going into 2026 will be to review and implement both the ‘National Hemp and Cannabis Master Plan’ and the ‘Hemp and Cannabis Commercialization Policy’.
Current Consumer Protection Legislation is Applicable to the Cannabis Sector
DTIC Minister Parks Tau says his department is working with the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) to develop guidelines for the packaging and labelling of cannabis and related products. This will be to ensure standardization and to safeguard consumers.
He says the National Consumer Commission (NCC) has advised the DTIC that the current Consumer Safety Act is adequate for cannabis consumer protection without requiring further amendment.
These details emerged from Minister Tau’s written response to three questions asked by DA MP Toby Chance (Questions no 6437, 6438, 6439, ) which Cannabis Africa received on 19 December 2025.
In essence, Chance wanted to know if the Minister “intended to establish a joint task force of the National Consumer Commission and SA Health Products Regulatory Authority by January 2026 to investigate grey market cannabis products, enforce compliance standards and protect consumers and would the DTIC publish a public progress report on initial findings by March 2026?”
Tau’s short answer to all of the above (Q 6439) was ‘no’ but that the DTIC was pushing forward with overall legislative reform and that the “immediate focus is to review and implement the National Hemp and Cannabis Master Plan and the Hemp and Cannabis Commercialisation Policy”.
SABS Cannabis Guidelines Under Development
“Through these actions, the Department has commenced the process of advancing regulatory reform aimed at unlocking the economic potential of South Africa’s hemp and cannabis industry. This initiative forms part of the broader government effort to promote industrialisation, rural development, and job creation through the implementation of the Hemp and Cannabis Master Plan” said Tau.
“The DTIC is also, through the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), preparing SANS 8233; which is a standard guide for packaging and labelling of consumer resin cannabis products – from sale to adult consumers, legally authorised medical users and care givers in a business; to consumer retail for consultation purposes.
Chance also wanted to know (Q6437) that “given the documented risks of mislabelled, contaminated and unsafe cannabis products circulating in the unregulated market of the Republic, what immediate steps has he taken to ensure that the Consumer Protection Act, Act 68 of 2008, (CPA) is amended by mid-2026 to include specific provisions regarding labelling of cannabis products, potency verification, safety testing and recall mechanisms, in alignment with the constitutional right to safe and fair trade practices under section 22 of the Constitution?”
Tau’s response was that he’d been advised by the National Consumer Commission that “the CPA is a law of general application which applies to all economic sectors in the economy, and as such there is no need for specific amendments to the CPA to address the risks of mislabelled, contaminated or unsafe cannabis products. “
Tau said Section 24 of the CPA provided for product labelling and trade descriptions to be applied to all goods sold in South Africa.
“Further, trade description and labelling should be in plain and understandable language and must not mislead consumers” he said.
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