Ghana’s Darko Pulls Out of Cape Town Cannabis Conference Because of Rising Xenophobic Tensions in SA
The ripples of xenophobia have hit the cannabis sector, with a senior Ghanaian stakeholder pulling out of next week’s ICS 2026 Cape Town conference. Mark Darko cited safety concerns for his withdrawal, which he says is in line with Ghana’s travel warnings to its citizens about staying clear of SA.
Govt Misses All its Own Deadlines to Put New Cannabis Laws into Place
The National Cannabis Master Plan is coming off the rails – again. The DTIC’s promise to prioritize cannabis reform has run out of momentum with no sign of the draft cannabis commercialization policy that was meant to be put to Parliament this session.
Expo’s Howarth: Message is Clear: Consumers Are In Charge and What They Want is Driving the Market
The Cannabis Expo has put paid to any doubt as to who’s in control of cannabis in the country says CEO Silas Howarth. It’s not the government or big business – it’s the consumer! This is the real force shaping the industry because of its insatiable demand and sheer spending power.
CTAA Launches Portal to Link Cannabis Growers and Retailers to Open up the Market for Marginalized Communities
The Cannabis Trade Association of Africa (CTAA) has launched a compliance platform that provides a route to market for legacy cannabis growers. It’s new portal aims to link growers to retailers in a framework that ticks all government’s compliance boxes and provides a market for landraces.
Looking Ahead, Zimbabwe and Zambia Are Africa’s Best Bets for Becoming Hemp Powerhouses
Zimbabwe and Zambia are best-placed African countries for ramped-up hemp production because they have plenty of available land and water. Zimbabwe has the edge because of it has an international distribution hub. That’s the view of Cobasa founder and chairperson Henri de Villeneuve, speaking at the Cheeba Summit.
Canadian Cannabis Retailers Hope for High Scoring Fifa World Cup
The 2026 FIFA World Cup marks the first time that part of the tournament will be held in a locale where cannabis is legal. Although fans can’t light up at the matches hosted in Canada, the potential for increased foot traffic has cannabis dispensaries excited and lawyers advising shops on how to avoid a legal red card.
Slip Sliding Away, Govt Doesn’t Miss the Opportunity to Miss the Opportunity – Again
South Africa did not need to reinvent cannabis commercialisation from scratch. It could have adapted proven licensing models, opened a lawful market quickly and built from there. Instead, delay, complexity and weak implementation have left the country watching a major industry slip through its fingers.
Law Firm CDH: Justice Dept Has it Wrong! Private Clubs Are Not Illegal!
Leading South African law firm CDH has challenged the Department of Justice’s view that private cannabis clubs are illegal and contravene the Cannabis Act. Not so, says CDH. There has been no legal declaration that clubs are illegal, and actually, a careful reading of the Act shows they are within prescribed guidelines.
Prince: Sort Out Regulatory Confusion and Develop an African Model for the Value Chain
The key conundrum in the cannabis industry is that South Africans can legally use and possess cannabis privately but it is illegal to buy it. Until government sorts out this contradiction, there will be no meaningful cannabis reform. That was Farmers Weekly’s take-out of Gareth Prince’s keynote address at the recent Cheeba Summit.
Dollars Make a Difference: South Africa Should Wake Up Fast to the Potential of CannaTourism
South Africa is sitting on a proverbial gold mine of tourism opportunities for the international cannabis community. But clearer guidelines are needed in order to make tourists feel more comfortable in order to tap this market,