Charl Botha: Policy Train Smash Coming as Cannabis Master Plan and SA Drug Plan Contradict Each Other
South Africa is heading for a policy collision in trying to balance the Cannabis Master Plan against the country’s Drug Master Plan, each of which view cannabis from very different perspectives. Unless the policy contradictions within these two plans is resolved,, cannabis reform will be fundamentally undermined.
Johann Slabber: Developing a Compliance Model for the Grey Zone is the Way to Mainstream the Marginalized
Most participants in the cannabis industry don’t have the capital to mainstream themselves according to current rules and regulations which favour those with deep pockets. Nexus CEO Johan Slabber says he’s developing a compliance model to integrate smaller growers, informal operators, and emerging dispensaries into a formal, sustainable value chain that leaves no one behind.
SAPS Leadership Crisis: Senior Security Ranks Rocked by Allegations of Corruption and Cocaine Cartel Cover Ups
President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived back from his travels abroad to confront the most serious crisis in the police force since the then Police Commissioner Jacky Selebi’s conviction on corruption charges two decades ago. Among the allegations he must resolve is the accusation that senior officials are involved in transfrontier drug smuggling.
Justice Minister: Regulations for Cannabis Act Only to be Finalized by End-Feb 2026
The Justice Ministry has finalized the regulations for the Cannabis Act, but still needs feedback from six other departments – and the Presidency – before they can be published for public comment. This emerged in a written response to a Parliamentary question in which the Justice Minister said the regulations would be finalized within seven months but did not specify when the Act would come into force.
Most Hemp Farmers Struggling With ‘Knowledge Gap’ and Seed Supply
South Africa’s hemp industry is fragmented and in dire need of standardized cultivation practices. Over half the country’s hemp farmers say they’re held back by a lack of training and standardization, according to the University of Tshwane, and these issues need to be resolved if the industry is to grow.
Australia Clamps Down on Medical Cannabis After 1 Doctor Exposed for Issuing Over 17 000 Prescriptions in Just 6 Months!
Australia’s health regulators have announced new official guidelines for medical cannabis prescriptions following widespread abuse of the system. It’s been revealed that some practitioners have issued over 10 000 prescriptions in just six months.
California Cannabis Farms Hit in Anti-Immigration Raids, One Worker Dies
A cannabis worker has died after falling off a greenhouse roof during an anti-immigration raid in California. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents accompanied by National Guard troops in military-style vehicles turned up at two locations operated by Glass House Farms near Los Angeles as part of the Trump administration’s drive to deport illegal migrant workers.
SAPS Legitimacy Crumbles to an All Time Low with Only 22% of South Africans Saying They Trust the Police
Public trust in the South African Police Service (SAPS) is at an all-time low – and that isn’t even taking into account the recent ‘corruption war’ that’s broken out in the upper echelons of the service. A new study by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) has found that only 22% of South Africans ‘strongly trust’ the police.
Almost 250 Tons of Cannabis Seized in SA Prisons Last Year – Unlikely it’s all Being Consumed Inside
The sheer volume of cannabis seized in South Africa’s jails suggests that Correctional Services’ facilities are hotbeds of ‘dagga dealing’. The DA says this is evidence that DCS staff are colluding with certain inmates and external suppliers in dealing in cannabis on an industrial scale.
Jailhouse Rock: This Year’s Correctional Services Cannabis Cup Winner is Thohoyandou Medium B!
This year’s prize for South Africa’s top dagga-dealing jail goes to Thohoyandou Medium B, Limpopo, where inmates, warders and suppliers put their differences aside in a display of outstanding team work to win the 2025 Correctional Services Cannabis Cup.