Cannabis Law Enforcement: SAPS Trapped in the The Gap Between Legislation and Reality
South African police find themselves in an extraordinarily difficult position as long as the daily reality of cannabis policing is at odds with the legislation they are meant to enforce. H3’s Charl Botha writes that what should be uniform has become situational and this will continue to throw up legal complications until the law itself passes the reality test.
Botswana: Growing Public Dispute Over Who Actually Owns The Cannabis Value Chain
Botswana president Duma Boko (pictured here) has acted quickly and decisively in establishing Botswana as Africa’s newest cannabis player. However, there is growing disquiet as to who the main beneficiaries of the new cannabis economy will be, as highlted in a recent editorial in the Sunday Standard.
EFF MP Mathulelwa Vows to Track Down the Missing Mpondoland Millions
EFF MP Babalwa Mathulelwa (pictured here) has vowed to track down the missing Mpondoland millions that slipped through the accountability net and was disbursed to Eastern Cape cannabis farmers in 2025. The R11 million earmarked for Mpondoland cannabis appears to have been spent there, but the question is by whom?
Want to Get a Cannabis License in Botswana? Take a Deep Breath, Here’s What You Need to Know
Botswana has deliberately designed its cannabis licensing regime to favour multinationals with deep pockets rather than empower local farmers, who will remain trapped at the bottom of the value chain. It has also raised barriers to entry by making its industry one of the most tightly regulated in the world.
Youngsters Most Vulnerable to Cannabis Use Disorder as SA Clinic Admissions Rise Steadily
The increasing availability of cannabis and the consequences of the Covid pandemic, have seen the number of people seeking treatment for cannabis rising. That’s according to Prof Nadine Harker (pictured here), who’s recently-published study found that demand for cannabis treatment shot up by 23% between 2020 and 2023.
Four Mpumalanga Cops Nailed for Trying to Hijack Cannabis Seizure
Four Mpumalanga police officers have been charged after trying to sell cannabis seized in a vehicle at a guest house in Carolina. They were arrested by their SAPS colleagues after trying to exchange part of the haul for cash at a second-hand car dealership.
‘Prove They’re Not Being Funded by Drug Lords’: DA Calls for SAPS Probe into Gayton McKenzie and Patriotic Alliance
The Democratic Alliance has called on SAPS and SARS to investigate whether Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie and his PA party are being bankrolled by the underworld. The DA says this follows the disturbing allegations during the Madlanga Commission linking the PA to organized crime and drug trafficking, allegations which the PA has denied.
UK Expert: It’s Madness Prescribing Cannabis for Mental Health Issues Under the Current System
NHS psychologist Dr Max Permberton writes that it is madness using cannabis to treat mental health issues under current UK regulations. He says a handful of doctors who are not specialists in either mental health or cannabis have turned the system into ‘retail with a prescription pad’ without concern over grave consequences.
Increased SAPS Action Against Illegal Cannabis Operators Nationwide
SAPS appears to be intensifying its clampdown on illicit cannabis distributors and narcotics traffickers with a noticeable uptick in arrests and seizures across the country during the course of March 2026.
Cannabis Expo’s Howarth: ‘The Mood Has Shifted From Survival to Strategy’
Cannabis Expo CEO Silas Howarth says the cannabis industry has gained significant momentum in the past 12 months. He says that last year’s frustration and uncertainty has given way to a new optimism now that government is actively tackling the regulatory bottlenecks to growth.