Shapeshift Alert! Africa Beginning to Look at Integrating Medical Benefits of Cannabis into Public Health Systems
Africa has all been left behind by the medical cannabis revolution sweeping the world. However, there are signs that this could be changing as a new generation of policy makers led by Zambia’s Dr Prosper Sievu, are questioning why Africa is not harnessing the benefits of cannabis for its own people.
‘80% of SA Medical Cannabis Export Flower May be Finding its Way into the Illicit Local Retail Market’
Research confirms that SA’s licensed medical cannabis cultivators appear to be putting more flower into the illegal local market than they are exporting. Despite the fact that this is largely illegal, many growers are finding it easier, and more profitable, to supply the ‘Grey Zone’ than it is to crack the difficult EU market.
DTIC says Knowledge of Cannabis Sector Would be ‘Added Advantage’ as it Selects New Master Plan Project Manager
Government’s first ‘back to the drawing board’ steps do not augur well for the industry. In advertising for a new project manager for the beleaguered National Cannabis Master Plan, the DTIC says knowledge of the cannabis and hemp industry would only be an ‘added advantage’ rather than an absolute prerequisite
Americans Overwhelmingly Support Cannabis Legalization But Retail Access is Still a Major Issue for Consumers
88% of Americans support cannabis legalization, but only 53% live in states where consumption is legal. This has impacted retail patterns. Take the tiny town of New Buffalo, Michigan: it sells more cannabis than the whole of LA – because of its ease of access to neighbouring Illinois and Indiana where prohibition remains.
Mpondoland’s Snoux Poswa: We Should be Celebrating and Building Our Beautiful Cannabis Heritage, Not Criminalizing It
Mpondoland Cannabis Belt Association secretary general Snoux Poswa says legacy growers have a wealth of accumulated wisdom and practical knowledge around the healing benefits of indigeous landraces. Yet government will not listen, and instead continues to criminalize the people it is meant to represent.
African Cultural Heritage Trust Project to Reintroduce Landrace Genetics to the Communities that Lost Them
In the face of growing threats to South Africa’s landrace varieties, the African Cultural Heritage Trust has initiated a bold programme to reintroduce indigenous cannabis genetics back into the communities they came from. Working with Druids Garden, the Trust has original genetic material dating back to the late 1940’s.
TUT/CSIR Cannabis Hub’s Landrace Project: Turning Indigenous Biomass into Value-Added Products
Professor David Katerere’s team at the Cannabis Hub has launched a landrace research project that seeks to document and commercialize local seed heritage. Among the Hub’s aims is to upskill indigenous farmers in agro-processing so they can add value to landrace biomass.
South Africa’s Overlooked Heritage: The Rich Medicinal Value of Our Indigenous Landraces
South Africa’s cannabis landraces hold significant medicinal properties that are only just being discovered. In fact, researchers are still determining how many indigenous landraces there are, with the African Cultural Heritage Trust having identified up to 40 different strains across all nine provinces.
Pharmaceutical Society of SA: Section 21 is ‘Unsustainable’ as SAHPRA Chaos Spreads Beyond Medical Cannabis Access
SAHPRA’s Section 21 application process appears to have collapsed and the impact of the bureaucratic breakdown is having a knock on effect beyond medical cannabis access. The Pharmaceutical Society says the sector as a whole is experiencing severe supply chain disruptions requiring alternatives to registered medicine and Section 21 is not the answer.
Making Sense of Cannabis Licensing, Permits and Pathways in South Africa
Cannabis regulations are confusing everyone and are due for an overhaul at some future point. But in the meantime, if you looking for regulated access to cannabis, FGFA’s Ami Heystek spells out your options