National Consumer Council Has No Plans to Tackle the Cannabis ‘Grey Zone’ Until New Regulations Are Published
No complaints relating to cannabis have yet been lodged with the National Consumer Council and until such time as new regulations are issued, the NCC will not conduct any investigation into the cannabis retail ‘Grey Zone’ that is largely operating illegally. That’s according to DTIC Minister Parks Tau in a written response to a DA parliamentary question.
Morocco Breaks the Muslim Mould in Embracing the Power of Cannabis
King Mohammed IV (pictured here) has broken ranks with other Muslim countries in choosing to see no contradiction between the partial legalization of cannabis and the teachings of the Quran. The Moroccan leader has put the Kingdom on a course of leveraging its cannabis history and its black market dominance into the mainstream.
Snapshot Summary of the the World’s Most Significant Cannabis Developments in 2025
The International Business Conference Berlin says South Africa’s cannabis landscape changed significantly in 2025 and was one of 13 major highlights of the year. As the new year dawns, the ICBC looks back on a year that proved to be significant for cannabis policy and industry in many parts of the world. Here are some of the top 2025 international cannabis stories.
Minister Tau: Cannabis Commercialization Policy is DTIC’s ‘Immediate Focus’ Going into the New Year
The development of a cannabis commercialization policy is one of the DTIC’s priorities going into the new year and the Department is working with the SABS to develop standardized guidelines for the packaging and labelling of cannabis products for general retail and medical cannabis purposes.
Vape Shop Owner Disappears in a Cloud of Smoke After R40 m Investment Goes Missing
East Rand Vape shop House of Clouds owner Mohammed Karolia (pictured here) is reportedly on the run owing over R40 million to a former business partner who obtained a far-reaching court order freezing all his bank accounts on 18 December 2025.
The Culture War: Factions, Egos, and the War for the Soul of Cannabis
Ego has become the barricade that prevents cannabis from realizing its full potential. Infighting among growers, scientists, and newcomers only strengthens the architects of exclusion, leaving us fractured from within. Guest columnist Lee Hymers writes that perhaps a dose of humility is needed all round.
FGFA Calls on Cannabis Communities to Help Shape Post-Prohibition Police Guidelines
One of the most contentious issues right now is the continued application of apartheid-era policing by SAPS which continues to arrest and harass people for cannabis offences. FGFA has launched a bold project to change SAPS from within and is urging cannabis communities to make their voices heard in this regard at a workshop planned for February 2026.
Namibia: Bail for Okahandja Ganja Bust Driver: ‘I thought I was Transporting Meat Not Cannabis’
The driver accused of transporting 52 kg of cannabis in Namibia’s biggest ever cannabis bust has been released on N$50 000 bail after he claimed he was duped into transporting the consignment, which he thought was meat, His two co-accused , South African David van der Linden and farm manager Armand Schultz (pictured here) remain in custody until the legal proceedings continue in the new year.
Agriculture Dept Open to Engagement Over Regulatory Concerns in New Plant Improvement Act
The DoA has signalled that it is open to engaging with stakeholders who have raised concerns about the recently published hemp regulations under the Plant Improvement Act . The first of such meetings has been scheduled for the end of January 2026 between the Registrar of the Plant Improvement Act and a delegation led by Charl Botha of H3 Legal Solutions.
Ghanaian Stakeholders Appeal to Parliament to Rethink ‘Unrealistic and Exclusionary’ Hemp Licence Fees
Ghana’s leading hemp activist organization, Hempire Agric Ghana (HAG) is to take up the shock hemp licensing fee issue with Parliament. HAG’s Nana Kwaku Agyemang (pictured here) says the proposed fees, the most expensive in the world, are unrealistic and exclusionary and out of kilter with the market.