Kenyan Rastas Challenge Cannabis Prohibition as a Violation of Religious Freedom
Kenya’s High Court has been hearing the Rastafarian community’s arguments that the country’s prohibitionist cannabis laws are a violation of their religious freedom. The Rastas are not arguing for an end to prohibition but rather that their use of cannabis for spiritual purposes is decriminalized.
SAPS Raid Four KZN Cannabis Shops in Renewed ‘Grey Zone’ Clampdown
KZN police have raided four cannabis outlets in the greater Durban area, seized R1,3 m of stock and arrested five people for dealing in drugs in what appears to be a new crackdown on the province’s ‘Grey Zone’ .
Ghana’s Exorbitant Cannabis License Fees To Be Challenged in Court Despite Minor Concessions
A Ghanaian farmer Mariam Alhassan is challenging the constitutionality of the country’s new cannabis licensing regime in court. This comes despite concessions made by Parliament this month to reduce some of the fees, which still remain among the highest in the world.
Porous Borders No Problem as eSwatini Pumps Out Illicit Cannabis to Service Lucrative SA Market
Multiple law enforcement agencies in eSwatini and South Africa are stepping up their efforts to try and curb cross-border cannabis smuggling. This has been steadily increasing with eSwatini cannabis dealers attracted by the prices they can get supplying the rapidly expanding illicit SA retail ‘Grey Zone’.
Morocco Has Put Landrace at the Centre of its Cannabis Development Strategy, Everything Else Follows
Morocco hasn’t distinguished between medical cannabis and industrial hemp in developing its cannabis industry. French academic Pierre-Arnaud Chouvy says that by putting the indigenous kif landrace at the centre of monetizing the plant, Morocco is being focused, yet flexible by keeping its end-use options open.
Global Cannabis Market: SA Barely a Blip on the Radar as World Production Declines
South Africa’s struggle to crack the export cannabis market is reflected in the Commission on Narcotic Drugs 2026 report which pegs this country as one of the lowest contributors to global imports, accounting for, along with four other countries, less than 2% of the market.
Soweto Cannabis Association Launched to Unite Cannabis Community and Halt Police Over-Reach
Soweto has long been a hotbed of activism in South Africa’s turbulent political history, and now the struggle is resurfacing in the shape of mobilization around cannabis. Recently-formed Soweto Cannabis Association chair Tia Ramfate (pictured here) says the community must now stand together against over-regulation and bad policing.
Parliament and Cannabis: Back to the Drawing Board, But This Time There’s Clarity, Collaboration and Commitment
The Parliamentary committee responsible for coming up with legislation allowing the commercial trade in cannabis says it will engage private sector stakeholders and researchers to come up with an evidence-based ‘omnibus bill’, which it has committed to being ready by mid-2027.
Agribiz Chief Economist: ‘Get Real: Cannabis Unlikely to be a Game-Changer for the SA Economy’
South Africa’s new presidential envoy on land and agriculture, Agribiz chief economist, Wandile Sihlobo has cautioned against over-enthusiasm that medical cannabis and hemp can be significant economic drivers. He says we should temper our enthusiasm in this regard, , particularly given the slow pace of reform and lack of regulatory clarity.
Hip and Happening! DoA Planning to Issue Permits to Grow Non-Medical, High-THC Cannabis
The Agriculture Department is to expand the current hemp permitting system to allow for high THC cultivation. This potential game-changer for was quietly revealed in Parliament recently in a DoA. presentation which outlined firm plans to encourage the expansion of cannabis cultivation way beyond hemp.