Although Lesotho legalized cannabis exports in 2018, Africa has been a slow starter in joining the ranks of those countries pushing for reform and regulated markets. Although fewer than a quarter of the continent’s countries have partially legalized cannabis, primarily medical cannabis for export and industrial hemp, Africa has the potential to be a future powerhouse on the international cannabis stage. Stay in the loop with all the news, policy, legislative, regulatory and market developments with Cannabiz Africa, your reliable content guide to the African cannabis environment.
Zimbabwe’s renowned hemp activist Dr Zoey Maroveke (pictured here) is finally seeing the fruits of her labour as Zimbabwe launches its first major commercial hemp trial at Mvurwi. The showcase project will pull together years of ZIHT research and experimentation.
Botswana president Duma Boko (pictured here) has acted quickly and decisively in establishing Botswana as Africa’s newest cannabis player. However, there is growing disquiet as to who the main beneficiaries of the new cannabis economy will be, as highlted in a recent editorial in the Sunday Standard.
Botswana has deliberately designed its cannabis licensing regime to favour multinationals with deep pockets rather than empower local farmers, who will remain trapped at the bottom of the value chain. It has also raised barriers to entry by making its industry one of the most tightly regulated in the world.
Cannabis Expo CEO Silas Howarth says the cannabis industry has gained significant momentum in the past 12 months. He says that last year’s frustration and uncertainty has given way to a new optimism now that government is actively tackling the regulatory bottlenecks to growth.
A senior Zambian regulator has offered to engage with his Ghanaian counterparts on adapting the West African country’s existing cannabis regulations to make the hemp sector more accessible to local farmers. Dr Prosper Sievu made the offer on a Cheeba Africa webinar in response to a plea from Ghana’s hemp sector for pan-African support.
The development of a viable industrial hemp industry in Southern Africa depends on closing critical gaps in funding, coordination, and implementation, experts said at the recent African Industrial Hemp Fibre Processing for Commercialisation Conference in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
Kenya’s High Court has been hearing the Rastafarian community’s arguments that the country’s prohibitionist cannabis laws are a violation of their religious freedom. The Rastas are not arguing for an end to prohibition but rather that their use of cannabis for spiritual purposes is decriminalized.
A Ghanaian farmer Mariam Alhassan is challenging the constitutionality of the country’s new cannabis licensing regime in court. This comes despite concessions made by Parliament this month to reduce some of the fees, which still remain among the highest in the world.
Multiple law enforcement agencies in eSwatini and South Africa are stepping up their efforts to try and curb cross-border cannabis smuggling. This has been steadily increasing with eSwatini cannabis dealers attracted by the prices they can get supplying the rapidly expanding illicit SA retail ‘Grey Zone’.
Morocco hasn’t distinguished between medical cannabis and industrial hemp in developing its cannabis industry. French academic Pierre-Arnaud Chouvy says that by putting the indigenous kif landrace at the centre of monetizing the plant, Morocco is being focused, yet flexible by keeping its end-use options open.
The latest news from the rapidly evolving African cannabis and hemp sector in your in-box every Thursday, fresh and free. Don’t miss out on what’s happening on market and regulatory developments across the continent, subscribe now for exclusive coverage, breaking news and opinions that will help you make informed decisions.
"*" indicates required fields
32,400+ subscribers · Unsubscribe anytime · No spam, ever.
Start typing below to search Cannabiz Africa.
