SA Hemp Sector Should Follow These 5 Priority Pathways to Unlock R40 Billion in Value
Zegeta Consulting has identified five priority pathways South Africa’s industrial cannabis sector should focus on if it is to realise its R40 billion potential. The three ‘lowest-hanging fruit’ for creating demand for hemp products are to unlock the development of the food and beverage, personal care and pulp and paper sectors
Malawi: Invegrow and Lilongwe Agriculture University Begin ‘Hands On’ Cannabis Training for Students
Lilongwe’s University of Agriculture and Natural Resources has begun investing in cannabis skills and training in partnership with Malawi’s leading cannabis producer, Invegrow. With the backing of the Central Regulatory Authority, students are starting to get ‘hands-on’ education in cannabis cultivation.
Trending USA: Why Low-Dose Cannabis Is Becoming The Industry’s Growth Engine
The conventional wisdom in the US cannabis market is that consumers are after THC potency, and this is where brands have competed. However, Forbes Magazine reports that successful companies are pursuing ‘precision’ over ‘potency’ as a market strategy that is likely to drive the industry’s growth engine going forward.
Global Cannabis Consumption Up by 40% in the Last Decade
Use of cannabis across the globe has grown by 40% over the last decade, with 256m people now reported to have used cannabis over the past recorded year (2024). That’s according to the UN, which says the overlap between legal and illegal markets in growing
Madlanga Commission Cannabis Bombshell! Big 5 Cartel Kept Cops at Bay to Protect SAHPRA Licensee Jack Frost’s Illegal Grow Op
The Madlanga Commission has heard head-spinning evidence of how SAHPRA licensee Jack Frost Pharmaceuticals allegedly produced industrial quantities of illegal cannabis under the protection of taxi boss and alleged Big 5 cartel leader Jothan ‘Mswazi’ Mnisi.
Hemp Sector Faces Seed Supply Problems, Legal Ambiguity & Danger of US Dumping as Planting Season Looms
A shortage of local seeds and possible dumping of surplus seeds by US farmers are two major challenges facing the South African hemp sector as planting season begins. SACHIDA’s Cian McClelland says the deeper issue is how indigenous landraces should be protected against imported genetics.
No Tax for Thathokuhle! Zim Finance Minister Offers Mike Querl’s Model Hemp Farm Tax-Free Zone Status
Zimbabwe hemp farmer Mike Querl’s Thathokuhle Farm’s has been offered a major tax concession by finance minister Mthuli Ncube. The Minister toured the farm last week and was so impressed by Querl’s ‘outgrower’ business model that he says he’ll recognize the cannabis farm as its own tax-free zone.
Portugal Prepares to Indict Operators in Three African Countries Who Tried to Deceive the Cannabis Medicines Regulator
Cannabis operators in three African Countries – the DRC, Kenya and Guinea-Bissau – are under a police investigation triggered by Portugal’s Medicines Regulator. The sector has been shocked by allegations of criminal association, falsified documents aggravated trafficking and money laundering.
All Mouth And No Money: DTIC’s Market Maths Doesn’t Add Up
The DTIC’s says the cannabis industry should be delivering R1,4 billion in new value each year but it can’t show where that money is going to come from. Instead cannabis reform is costing the country dearly, says H3’s Charl Botha, who estimates the overall cost has been over R8 billion with no return in sight.
Morocco’s BluePearl Seeds Builds on Local Genetics to Launch New Certified Seed Campaign
Morocco is introducing a certified seed campaign after years of researching which varietals perform best for farmers and regulated markets. PearlBlue Seeds has been working on developing and stabilizing local genetics as a foundation for the local commercial industry.