SA Dealing With ‘Complex and Evolving Drug Landscape’ as Substance Abuse On the Rise Worldwide.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has praised South Africa for its efforts in addressing a ‘complex and evolving drug landscape’. The UN says SA’s development of a Drug Master Plan was one its notable achievements in harms reduction and treatment initiatives.
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.
THCV Looks to be the Magic ‘Weight Loss’ Cannabis Compound
Research on the use of cannabis components to aid weight loss found that use of a combined product containing the cannabinoids THCV and CBD “was associated with statistically significant weight loss” as well as a slimmer waistline, lower blood pressure and decreased cholesterol.
Essential Reading: Current Cannabis Regulations in South Africa 2025
The global CBD industry continues to grow rapidly, and South Africa has positioned itself as one of the most progressive CBD markets in Africa. While CBD products are legally available to consumers, there is still a degree of uncertainty around the regulations—especially concerning dosage limits, THC content, and product categories.
South Korean Scientists Discover New Cannabinoid – Cannabielsoxa Appears to Have ‘Anti-Tumour’ Effect
The new compound was discovered during cancer research and revealed ‘strong inhibitory activity’ in combating tumours. Researchers say the discovery of Cannabielsoxa is an initial step towards combating cancer in children.
Need Evidence of Medical Cannabis Misuse? Say Hi to Professor Herb
Among the many new medical cannabis service providers entering the fray is UK-based Professor Herb, which through its local franchise, Dr Kush, is offering an online cannabis buying service. Professor Herb’s main product line is distributing CBD products in Europe, but as of April, it has started selling ‘medical’ cannabis in South Africa outside the regulatory channels.
Synergy Post the Expo: The Future is Compliance, and Retailers Are Catching on Quick
Cannabis Expo headline sponsor Synergy Wellness capitalized on the exposure generated by the event, saying it had an overwhelming response from retailers and prospective patients interested in its medical cannabis services. Brett Hilton-Barber caught up with Synergy Wellness’s CEO John Hodes (pictured here) and COO Gareth Williams to see what the event generated for them.
2025: A Year for Removing the Rocks on the Road to Cannabis Reform
The South African cannabis industry has gone through a painful few years, constrained by Government’s slow and shambolic approach to regulatory reform. The irony is that to date the ‘grey zone’ appears to have benefitted the most so far from the Constitutional Courts 2018 decision to legalize private consumption, while other sectors of the cannabis economy have lagged behind. So what lies in store for SA cannabis in the year ahead? Cannabiz Africa publisher Brett Hilton-Barber has a look ahead.