This report first published in Canamo on 27 November 2025.
A recent article in the South African newspaper Sunday World portrays how cannabis has gone from being criminalized to becoming a symbol of well-being and urban modernity in Johannesburg. From elegant shops to personal care products, the plant now appears in spaces that just a few years ago were unthinkable for something associated with police persecution and moral stigma.
In places like Northcliff Potaround, a Johannesburg cannabis lounge , cannabis consumption is now integrated into a socially acceptable environment, surrounded by art, design, and relaxed conversation. There, memories still linger of decades in South Africa when the plant was associated with crime, vagrancy, or “living a bad life,” not with creative ventures or wellness projects. The mere fact that cannabis boutiques and specialized spaces are being discussed demonstrates just how much the narrative has changed.
Behind this cultural shift lies a profound legal change. In 2018, the South African Constitutional Court declared it unconstitutional to punish the use and cultivation of cannabis for personal consumption in private spaces. Following this, the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act (2024) was passed , regulating how adults can cultivate, possess, and share cannabis and opening the door to expunging certain criminal records.
Beyond the legal changes, the new South African cannabis landscape is also expressed in a language of wellness and lifestyle—the emergence of spas, personal care products, and leisure spaces that now integrate the plant into the daily routines of an urban middle class. This shift is reminiscent of processes we’ve already seen in other countries: what was once a symbol of marginalization is now part of a “wellness” economy where marketing and tourism, as well as the defense of rights, play a significant role. Ultimately, the question remains: who benefits from this normalization, and who is once again left on the sidelines?
What’s happening in South Africa today is more than just a distant curiosity for the Spanish-speaking world; it’s undoubtedly a laboratory where new ways of coexisting with the plant are being tested. The fact that cannabis is no longer synonymous with crime is good news, but the true measure of change will be whether regulation prevents the new industry from excluding those who sustained cannabis culture on the margins.
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