South Africa is Now the Synthetic Drug Capital of Africa
Health authorities have long been warning of the drugs crisis unfolding in South Africa with heroin and cocaine use up sharply. The situation has now reached a point where South Africa now has the most pervasive synthetic drug market in Africa.
Kenya’s Rastas in Renewed Push for Cannabis Legalization
A constitutional challenge by the Rastafari Society of Kenya pits religious freedom against decades-old narcotics laws, forcing a national debate on the future of cannabis. A High Court decision, expected in 2026, could have significant cultural and economic implications for the nation.
Namibian Govt Admits that Prohibition Cannot be ‘Scientifically, Morally or Rationally Justified’
Namibia’s government has made a ground-breaking admission in court papers that the prohibition of cannabis cannot be justified on scientific, moral or rational grounds. The Attorney General has filed a report with the Windhoek High Court opposing the Ganja Users of Namibia’s application to have cannabis prohibition laws overturned saying its not up to the courts to decide cannabis policy, but the executive.
SACCA: Here’s the Solution to the Regulatory Problems Govt is Grappling With
The South African Cannabis Club Alliance (SACCA) has announced that key cannabis stakeholders have united to present a solution to the legal cannabis conundrum facing South Africa as the country moves towards adopting a commercialisation framework. The Project Indlela plan seeks to incorporate legacy growers, cannabis clubs and government into a regional hub model that allows trade in cannabis while protecting consumer safety.
‘SAPS Involvement in Hemp Permits is Administrative Over-Reach and Should be Rescinded’
SAPS has no mandate to be an agricultural inspector and its involvement in the hemp permit process is unconstitutional, impractical and unnecessary. That’s the view of H3 Solutions’ Charl Botha who says this provision should be urgently withdrawn.
SA Cannabis Reform: A Case of Misteps, Missed Steps, Reversed Steps, Ambivalence and Confusion
South African cannabis reform is just not kicking into gear, largely because Government has fumbled the process badly. Nowhere is this more evident than the continued shelf-life of the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act, which is still on the statute books despite repeated Government promises to amend it and a 2020 Concourt judgement that found sections of it to be unconstitutional.
New Partnership Sees Mainstream Agriculture Joining Drive to Protect and Promote Cannabis Landraces
The African Farmers Association of South Africa (AFASA) has joined forces with the African Heritage Cultural Trust, SACHIDA and other organizations to protect and promote local landrace genetics. This comes as new regulations define indigenous plants as agricultural crops so that small holder farmers can benefit from their economic development.
Labat’s Cannabis Asset Sale is Getting Dizzy: New Buyer Snaps Up Cannafrica for R8 m, All Other Deals Off the Table
Barely a week after Labat announced that it was no longer selling its cannabis assets to Brian van Rooyen’s All Trading Propriety but to initial bidder 64P Investments,, there’s been yet another twist to the tale. A new buyer, African Ntsha Trading Solution, has stepped in and snapped up CannAfrica for R8 million replacing all other offers on the table.
Cannabis Licensing: Crunch Time Coming for Government to Reveal Its True Colours
How Government handles cannabis licensing is one of the single biggest factors that will make or break South African cannabis reform. Currently the only licenses available are for exporting medical cannabis, of which just over 100 have been issued. The way Government accommodates an estimated 900 000 small-scale legacy growers will either level the playing fields or create deep inequality in a future cannabis economy.
Spanish Take on South African Cannabis: One Big Lab Experiment that Everybody is Keeping a Close Eye On
The Spanish online magazine Canamo says South Africa is defining cannabis in its own new way that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. It says what South Africa is more than just a curiosity for the Spanish-speaking world, it’s a living laboratory where new ways of exploring and interacting with the plant are unfolding.