‘Communities Benefited from Rooibos, Adapt this Model for Cannabis to Protect Landraces’
South Africa’s cannabis landraces have been touted as a heritage asset but they exist in a legal vacuum. The Rooibos industry developed a community-benefit model for the people harvesting the tea. Could this model be adapted to the cannabis industry to protect landraces?
Lesotho Completely Overhauls Cannabis Oversight with New Regulations Expected Soon
Lesotho has completely revamped its cannabis oversight structures in the past year and is soon to publish new licensing and inspection guidelines. A new regulatory body, Lesotho Medicines Regulatory Authority (LeMeRA), is now in charge of the sector along with the newly formed Lesotho Narcotics Bureau (LNB).
Major Zambian Policy Shift: Cannabis to be Integrated into Public Health System
Zambia is to introduce cannabis into its medical system for the benefit of the local population. This is a radical departure from its ‘export only’ licensing regime and has profound implications for public health and insurance. A new National Cannabis Co-ordinating Committee has been set up to establish new cannabis protocols.
ARC Economists: KZN Legacy Growers ‘Strongly Resistant’ to Switching to Hemp
Hemp is often promoted as a game-changing crop for South Africa’s rural economy, but farmers in KwaZulu-Natal tell a different story. ARC agricultural economists Lesiba Pertunia Mailula, Noluthando Ngcobo, Blessing Zitha and Siphe Zantsi explain the mistrust, fear, and realities behind the resistance.
Morocco on the Move: 2025 Was a Record Year and New Markets are Opening Up
Morocco’s legal cannabis industry recorded its strongest production figures yet in 2025 and pushed into new export markets, according to the national regulator, as the sector continues to take shape three years after the kingdom legalised cultivation for medical and industrial purposes.
Hemp is Legal and Non-Psychoactive. So Why is Europe Waging War Against It?
Across the EU, member states have been consistently locked in conflict with the developing hemp industry. Business of Cannabis Editor Ben Stevens investigates why governments are waging war on this legal and entirely non-intoxicating product.
Breakthrough in Mauritius as Govt Looks at Legalization Options and Calls for Public Input
In a major policy conceptual shift, the Indian Ocean island has taken the first tentative steps towards legalizing cannabis. The National Agency for Drug Control (NADC) has established a technical committee to look at various options regarding cannabis reform and will launch an online portal to gauge public opinion.
California Study: In Areas Where There are Licensed Farms, Illegal Cannabis Growing Declines
A California study has shown that the biggest deterrent to illicit cannabis cultivation in any area is the presence of a licensed facility. The study found that this was consistently more effective than enforcement or bans in restricting illegal grow ops, because licensed facilities bought with them the spotlight of compliance.
Cannabis Club Compliance is First Step in Turning the Grey Zone into the Green Economy
The foundation for a legal cannabis retail industry is already there in the ‘Grey Zone’ says SACCA’s Albertus van Jaarsveldt. It’s just a question of unifying operators who want to be compliant into a framework that Government recognizes. Then, he says, there’s a whole new legal green economy that’s open for business.
Soweto Cannabis Association Calls on Stakeholders to Show Their Strength at Solidarity Gathering
May 2 is celebrated internationally as Global Cannabis March Day. Soweto is in on the action and is calling for all Soweto cannabis stakeholders to gather in solidarity at Uncle Tom’s Hall in Orlando on Saturday. There will then be a march to Pieter Roos Park in Johannesburg.