The depth of SA’s Government ineptitude in drawing up appropriate cannabis legislation sinks lower all the time with no ground zero yet in sight. During the recent Cannabis Bill deliberations in Parliament, the extent to which the State has truly set back the industrial cannabis, or hemp sector, became glaringly apparent. MPs are now learning about the defects in another law, the Plant Improvement Act, which was quietly amended last year to include hemp provisions that ignore the genetic wealth of SA’s landraces, set THC limits that are based on northern hemisphere conditions, and at this stage, allow only imported varietals unsuitable for southern Africa’s climate. Eish!

Amended legislation in Zimbabwe has removed industrial hemp from the country’s list of dangerous drugs and set the defining line between cannabis and hemp at 1.0%.

Momentum is gathering pace within the United Nations to recognize the catalystic growth opportunities offered by hemp with all its multiple uses. The European Industrial Hemp Federation says that after 60 years of negativity and prohibition, the tide has turned for hemp at the highest levels of global governance. This will significantly help destigmatise cannabis in general.

The Gouda Farmers Association is to undertake a pilot project with Hemp Africa (Pty) Ltd to perfect hemp growing in the Western Cape and turn it into the province’s “hemp hub”.

According to the UNCTAD’s Global Hemp Report 2022, hemp export and import trends have shifted dramatically over the last few years, with the US and Europe displacing China as the world’s biggest hemp exporters.

South Africa’s fledgling hemp industry may not be feasible under current regulations. That’s the grim view contained in the Global Cannabis Report 2022. It says while SA has taken a step in the right direction in setting up a hemp regime under the Department of Agriculture, the 0,2% THC restriction in the definition of hemp is deeply problematic.

A new UNCTAD report says the every country should be allowed to grow low-THC cannabis and that if nations could put together an international regulatory system, the global hemp market’s value could reach US$18 billion by 2027.

An expert panel studying cannabis issues in Japan has recommended that the country allow for imports of cannabis products for medical use. This comes as some surprise as the Japanese government has traditionally been anti-cannabis, and this could open new doors for African exporters.

Financial services provider Fedgroup is the latest mainstream institution to enter the South African cannabis market. It has added “cannabinoid hemp” to its “alternative asset impact farming investment options”, saying investors could earn a 14% return per annum over the next three years.

Hemp farming and production licenses will be inexpensive and widely available in Costa Rica, according to regulations that have been approved by the government.

National settlements minister says new hemp technology is the solution for Zimbabwe’s massive housing shortage

Cheeba Cannabis Consulting brings together a network of experts to offer a broad range of services across the cannabis and hemp value chains as the cannabis economy starts picking up a head of steam.