Three SAPS Officers Charged for Dagga Dealing After N4 ‘Convoy Bust’
Three officers from the White River Flying Squad have appeared in the Volksrust District Court to face ‘dagga dealing’ charges and have been remanded in custody. This follows their arrest on Wednesday for allegedly providing safe escort to a Toyotal Corolla packed to the brim with illicit cannabis.
Tanzania: Don’t Go Wearing Your Rasta Gear Downtown Any Time Soon
Tanzania’s drug enforcement authorities have warned that anyone wearing clothes with a cannabis insignia could be liable for arrest. As the rest of the continent adopts a more relaxed approach to the plant, Tanzania is veering in the opposite direction taking a hard line ahead of the general elections scheduled for October 2025.
Ghana: Jerry Rawlings’ Daughter Champions the Environmental Benefits of Hemp
Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, the daughter of strongman and former president of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings (pictured above), has won the hearts of hemp activists after calling on her country to turn to industrial hemp as a means to solve her country’s growing environmental waste problem.
SAPS Busts Indicate Extent of eSwatini Cannabis Smuggling in Southern Africa
Police have stepped up the arrests of illicit cannabis dealers over the past month as eSwatini outdoor floods the local black market. In the latest developments a 43 year old man was arrested in Letsitele, Limpopo for allegedly ferrying eSwatini flower to Zimbabwe, while police are searching for a man in Tonga who abandoned a car full of cannabis after a high speed chase.
Reform Momentum Builds in Namibia With Jailed Cannabis Leader’s Early Release
Leading Nanibian cannabis activist Brian Jaftha, convicted on cannabis possession charges two years ago, has been released on parole just short of serving his full sentence. The Justice Ministry’s decision is another indication of a groundswell change of attitude under way.
European Drug Report 2025 Warns of the Rising Use of Synthetic Cannabis and Negative Effects on Consumer Health
Higher cannabis potency and the rise of semi-synthetic cannabinoids in a frightening array of new products is impacting consumer health. This is the warning from the 2025 European Drug Report which says there are 1 000 new active substances on the European Drug data base and the polyconsumption of drugs is the new normal.
Market Forces May be Causing a ‘Bottleneck in Cannabis Genetics’ Endangering the Plant’s Natural Diversity
Widespread legalization of cannabis could be leading to a decline in the biodiversity of the plant and make ‘cannabis in the wild’ a thing of the past. A new study suggests that commercialization may be creating ‘the bottlenecking of cannabis genetics’.
SAHPRA Warns Public Over Fake Medical Cannabis Licenses
The regulator says its concerned about the increase in the use of fake SAHPRA licenses by unethical businesses as the cannabis retail ‘Grey Zone’ continues to expand rapidly. It has urged the public to be cautious when dealing with service providers as many are illegal.
SAHPRA Upgrading Systems to Deal with Surge in ‘Fake Licenses’, Bigger Regulatory Review Underway
SAHPRA says it is sourcing a barcoding system to authenticate Section 21 medical cannabis service providers. This comes amidst a surge of new businesses signing up medical cannabis patients to supply them with their ‘prescriptions’, and this is ringing the regulator’s alarm bells loudly.
DTIC Minister Tau: ‘Justice Dept Must Scrap Drugs Act Before Commercialization is Put on the Table’
The DTIC is waiting for the Department of Justice to scrap the Drugs Act before it can implement a commercial framework for cannabis. DTIC Minister Parks Tau has told Parliament that a draft cannabis commercialization policy is under internal discussion and will be released for comment once it is ‘finalized’.