South Africa occupies a unique position in the rapidly developing legal cannabis market. With a government that seeks to legalize and develop the cannabis and hemp sectors as a sunshine industry and a private and community sector desperately willing to engage, this should be a match made in heaven. Yet the country finds itself in a regulatory quagmire with market forces, both legal and illegal, now in control. Cannabiz Africa is your front row on the torturous journey towards a regulated adult-use commercial market.
The rapid expansion of the cannabis sector poses a serious challenge for the thousands of government officials who have to deal with it on a daily basis without any operating guidelines. H3’sCharl Botha writes that this ‘legal gap’ is in danger of growing into a broader failure in law enforcement.
The South African cannabis community is mourning the passing of Greg Ondrejkovic, owner and technical director of leading laboratory service, Eco Green Analytics. Messages of support have been pouring in for his wife and business partner, Sonja, who with Greg, developed their Somerset West lab into a world class facility.
Trusts in Jersey may now legally withdraw returns from any South African cannabis inverstments in terms of a new regulation. Even though cannabis is ‘legal’ in South Africa, Jersey laws have to date deemed any return on such investments as proceeds of crime.
Younger people are particularly vulnerable to developing pscychosis that have life-long mental health implications. Gauteng has warned that substance abuse among the youth has led to a sharp increase in hospital admissions for treating drug-related disorders.
South African medical cannabis expert Dr Shiksha Gallow has warned that the unbridled explosion of the cannabis retail ‘Grey Zone’ is a public health risk. She said in the absence of regulations, consumers were faced with increasing harm from unscrupulous drug dealers.
South Africa should consider regulations that make outdoor growing the default growing regime, not indoor. That’s the radical view of veteran Eastern Cape cannabis lawyer, Ricky Stone, who told ICS 2026 that it was a myth that medical cannabis could only be cultivated under controlled conditions.
A Free State cannabis entrepreneur Molihobeng Semela, has been voted Free State Agriculture Department’s Woman Entrepreneur of the Year, for ‘mainstreaming’ her start-up company, Mimmie Trading and Projects which produces cannabis-derived health and cosmetics products.
The issue of testing employees for cannabis at work has long been a controversial one because of the length of time THC can remain in the human system. UKZN legal expert Thato Lentsoe argues that saliva testing should now replace urine to determine if a worker is ‘under the influence’ of THC.
University of Johannesburg (UJ) researchers, in partnership with Canna-B-Africa, have designed a hemp brick specifically for sustainable mass housing. UJ says years of research have gone into developing a prototype that serves as an alternative to cement and hopes it will redefine the way South Africa builds houses.
ICS 2026 organizer Sean Hocking has expressed his sympathy to two Ghanaian CEO’s who have decided not to attend next week’s conference because of the xenophobic climate in the country. He says the Cape Town conference aims to strengthen pan-African communication channels and no other African delegates have withdrawn.
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