Cannabis industry has huge economic value for South Africa, but government dragging its feet

By Nicholas Heinamann

The Draft South African Cannabis Masterplan states that there are up to 900,000 traditional dagga growers in South Africa and that they and ‘dagga’ need to be included in the cannabis value chain, but makes no recommendation as to how this is to be achieved.

An employee inspects a flowering cannabis plant in a grow room at the Cilo Cybin Pharmaceutical Ltd. facility in Samrand, South Africa, on 20 August 2021. (Photo: Waldo Swiegers / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Cashing in on the high end of budding cannabis tourism

By Bridget Hilton-Barber

Despite legal obstacles and controversy, the cannabis tourism industry in South Africa is budding. Most places remain discreet, but local and foreign tourists are staying at weed-friendly hotels, going on urban cannabis tours and participating in rural community-based cannabis adventures.

Head out on a high holiday and get to explore the sights around Hartbeespoort Dam. (Photo: Supplied)

High time: SA cannabis products firm Cilo Cybin to list on JSE

By Ed Stoddard

The cannabis economy is rolling along worldwide but, in South Africa, policy inertia remains the order of the day. Still, it’s not all up in smoke and there are some green shoots emerging.

Gabriel Theron, chief executive officer of Cilo Cybin Pharmaceutical, inspects cannabis plants in a grow room at the company’s facility in Samrand, South Africa, 20 August 2021. (Photo: Waldo Swiegers / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Take me to your dealer — grow club model dealt a blow as growing pot for others is still deemed criminal

By Georgina Crouth

The High Court agrees there’s not much difference between a dealer of cannabis and a grow club, handing cannabis hot potato back to Parliament. It says it’s not for the courts to decide on legality of grow clubs, which have been set up to sidestep the Drugs Act.

Dagga farming is one of the few forms of livelihood in poverty-stricken parts of the rural Eastern Cape. (Photo: Masixole Feni)

Can you smoke ‘zol’ before work?

By Tania Broughton

A CCMA ruling suggests you can so long as it doesn’t impair your performance at work.

Participants during the Annual Cannabis Walk on 5 May, 2018 in Cape Town, South Africa. About 2,000 participants joined the annual march in support for the legalisation of cannabis. (Photo by Gallo Images / Brenton Geach).

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