DTIC to Build ‘Cannabis Finance Eco System’ to Accelerate Funding for the Master Plan
The DTIC wants to fast-track the creation of financial instruments to support the National Cannabis Master Plan. It wants Treasury to come up with tax incentives for private investors and is to get Government to focus on funding legacy farmers and SMME’s across the value chain.
So, What’s Stopping the Commercial Trade in Cannabis? These Are the Challenges Facing the Master Plan
The DTIC has identified the major challenges it faces in commercialising cannabis. The main one by far is the law. Until such time as crucial legislative changes are made, the trade in cannabis and related products is prohibited. But there are also nine other significant obstacles that need to be faced in implementing the National Cannabis Master Plan.
DTIC Unveils its Route Markers to Navigate SA Towards the Legal Trade in Cannabis
The DTIC has finally put the missing piece in the National Cannabis Master Plan jigsaw puzzle and has completed the picture of what South Africa can expect by way of a commercial cannabis framework. The DTIC has now put out for public comment its draft recommendations on the way forward and the framework it envisages.
DTIC Puts Commercial Cannabis Law Timeframe on the Table
The adoption of a commercial cannabis framework is to be put through the Nedlac process before a new law comes into force in 2027. That’s the DTIC’s time-frame for a complete overhaul of current cannabis laws which it’s laid out in its draft commercialization policy that is now out for stakeholder comment.
DTIC DG Simphiwe Hamilton: Cannabis is All About Re-Imagining Our Industrial Policy for Economic Growth
DTIC Director General Simphiwe Hamilton (pictured here) is guiding cannabis policy development within the department which is the lead institution driving the National Cannabis Master Plan. He says cannabis is part of the Government’s ‘re-imagining’ of industrial policy and provides an executive summary of the draft policy document put out for comment.
Agriculture Dept Hosts Zambia’s ‘Buffalo Soldiers’ for Cannabis Knowledge Exchange
It’s been six years since Zambia legalized cannabis for export but the country has struggled to get the sector off the ground. It’s now handed the matter over to the army and senior officers were recently in South Africa on a cannabis reconnaissance mission.
Africa’s Cannabis Hopes Remain Stuck in the Shadows of Stigma
Cannabis on the African continent is generally viewed as dangerous. This has made it all the more difficult for those countries that have embarked on cannabis reform as there is deep anti-cannabis sentiment amongst both officialdom and the citizenry. Cannabiz Africa’s Africa Editor, John Makoni reflects how this stigmatization has not helped the marginalized and rural poor who should be the main beneficiaries of legalization.
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.
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.
DSBD Partners With CSIR to Assist Small Businesses in Cannabis Product Development, Seeks Expert Help
The Department of Small Business Development and the CSIR have partnered to pilot projects for small SME’s to produce medicinal cannabis and hemp for commercialisation. They are looking for an expert to pull together three years of research on beneficiation into an action programme.