Although South Africa accounts for a tiny percentage of global cannabis trade, it is an important part of the bigger picture, with cannabis markets in Europe, the UK, Israel and Australia. Cannabiz Africa reports on international developments affecting the African cannabis and hemp sector as well as consumer market trends of interest to South African operators.
Internationally, the cannabis industry is likely to see further advances in telemedicine as the main channel to market for medical cannabis in the year ahead, while Canada is likely to assert its leadership on the world stage. But watch out for new restrictrions kicking in in new markets and possible oversupply in 2026 – and keep an eye on Thailand
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.
Canada is a global leader in cannabis but it is not doing enough to leverage this reputation into a meaningful tourism strategy. The main problem is that current regulations focus on restricting public access, whereas a canna-tourism approach would mean flipping that idea on its head.
The US hemp industry faces a US$30 billion shake-up, its biggest since 2018. Effective 13 November 2025, Congress fundamentally rewrote the laws governing hemp in America, passing sweeping restrictions on hemp-derived THC products.
Jamaica is still reeling in the wake of Hurricane Melissa which all but destroyed the island’s cannabis industry. The Caribbean nation that popularized cannabis worldwide through reggae music, is now facing a critical shortage of flower as most cultivation facilities have been destroyed.
Aroma is a key test of cannabis quality yet there is no shared international vocabulary in this regard. A US Study has suggested that the smell of cannabis can be reduced to four distinct profiles that offer an alternative way than to differentiate according to terpenes.
Cannabis donors helping set up cannabis regulatory systems across the world are perpetuating the myth that they promote inclusivity. However, as guest contributor Lee Hymers’s research has shown, donor capital builds the walls of exclusion to enable corporate capital to buy the keys.
An elaborate marketing stunt from a New York marijuana business evidently fooled more than a few media outlets into believing that carrier pigeons would soon be deployed to make cannabis deliveries throughout New York City. Turned out it was a ‘fake’ campaign, but it sure achieved its marketing objectives.
Germany is looking to restrict telephonic prescriptions for medical cannabis as new Federal Drug Commissioner, Hendrik Streeck (pictured here) warns that lax controls are creating ‘dealers in white coats’. He says the system allows doctors to pump out cannabis prescriptions without proper consultations and this cannot continue.
Australia and Germany are moving in opposite directions on cannabis imports, as both scramble to deal with the runaway growth of their medical cannabis markets. Their revisited import quotas indicate that there may be regulatory divergence developing between the two countries which South African exporters should be aware of.
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