Two Former SA Professional Footballers Arrested in Zimbabwe on Cannabis Trafficking Charges
Two former prominent South African professional footballers have been arrested in Zimbabwe with 750 kg of cannabis. Brian Amidu and Rueben Muhlanga have been remanded in custody while police investigate whether they are part of a larger drug trafficking syndicate.
In SA Cannabis is the New Normal, So Beware the Pockets of Zero Tolerance Elsewhere
Cannabis has become such a part of the contemporary urban landscape that it’s become the New Normal. Tolerance has led to complacency around law enforcement, but hey, this is South Africa. The rest of the rest of the world can be a dangerous place for cannabis users, like Indonesia, where a US basketball player may face the death penalty for being in possession of gummies.
Unveiling Project Indlela: African Compliance Model Aimed at Linking Legacy Growers, Municipalities and Private Clubs
Four significant South African cannabis associations have banded together to establish a paradigm-shifting model that connects legacy growers to private clubs. Project Indlela is being pitched jointly by The CannaClub, SACCA, SACHIDA and MBOSA to the DTIC to recognize an ‘Indigenous Knowledge Systems Sandbox Pilot Project’ in the Eastern Cape.
Zimbabwe: Robert Mugabe Jr Under Investigation for ‘Peddling Drugs’ After Cannabis Bust
Robert Mugabe Jnr (pictured here) is being investigated in connection to a syndicate ‘peddling illegal substances’ after he was bust for cannabis in Harare. The son of the former Zimbabwean strongman was arrested for cannabis possession after being caught for a traffic offence, and is now out on bail.
The Cannabis Monopoly Playbook: How Global Regulation Protects Corporates and Excludes Communities
Guest columnist Lee Hymers takes a deep dive into the exclusionary patterns that drive global cannabis reform. Across the globe, the story is the same: regulatory systems favour a concentration of power amongst the big players to the exclusion of legacy growers, communities and entrepreneurs.
Govt Losing Billions in Tax Revenue as Illegal Cannabis Market Rivals Gauteng Tourism in Value
The illegal cannabis market, with an estimated value of around R36 billion, is about 77 times the size of the current legal market. That’s according to Euromonitor, which says a third of the illegal market could be brought into the tax net if government put the right regulations in place.
Private Cannabis Clubs Are Breaking Taboos and Developing Their Own Robust Culture
Euromonitor’s Christopher Day says that despite the lack of clear regulations, the private club movement is shaping South African cannabis culture and breaking down stigmas of social acceptability.
Courier Company Under Investigation After R21 Million Linbro Park Cannabis Bust
A well-known courier company is said to be under investigation after this week’s major cannabis bust in Linbro Park, Gauteng. JMPD officers allegedly found evidence of company’s packaging during their raid in which 52 bales of cannabis with an estimated street value of R21 million was seized.
Cilo Cybin Sets Expansion Sights Abroad, Sees No Point in Playing in SA Market Until There’s Regulatory Clarity
Cilo Cybin founder Gabriel Theron (pictured here) says he’s looking to export value added cannabis products into the Europe the UK and Israel now that the group is listed on the main bourse of the JSE. He says Cilo Cybin will sit on the local market sidelines until there’s policy clarity.
Five Sane Steps That Could Get SA Cannabis Reform Back on Track
South Africa’s cannabis regulatory tangle get worse by the day as Government dithers and the ‘Grey Zone’ expands with no mechanisms for standardization or consumer protection on the cards. Charl Botha of H3 Legal Solutions (pictured here) has written to the President and other key ministers suggesting five steps that would bring the coherence that’s so urgently needed for cannabis reform to proceed as the Presidency intended.