Cannabiz Africa's Brett Hilton-Barber in conversation with Cheeba Africa co-founder and director, Trenton Birch.

BHB: The summit came at an ideal networking time for the industry, with everyone I spoke to commenting on how good it was to interact with people after the setback of Covid and the fiasco of cannabis reform over the past few years.  What do you feel came out of the off-stage interactions between the industry players who attended?

TB:  The industry often operates in silos and the Summit provided a valuable opportunity to bring stakeholders together to network, share knowledge and strategise around collaborative growth. We're also beginning to recognise that we shouldn't be competing with one another locally—our real competition lies in the international market. To build a strong national and continental competitive strategy, we must support each other's growth and work together toward a shared vision.

BHB: Was there much contact between government officials and private stakeholders, and do you think it was largely positive, given the hostilities that arose over the cannabis and foodstuffs ban?

TB:  There was a noticeable increase in government participation across both the Expo and the Summit, which is an encouraging sign. We were especially pleased to welcome a number of high-profile speakers to the Summit stage, signalling a genuine interest in advancing the industry.

That said, we're not out of the woods yet. Deep-rooted prejudice against the Cannabis sector still exists and ongoing inefficiencies within the system continue to delay progress. These challenges mean we may still face a bumpy road ahead before we see updated legislation that truly empowers the industry to grow, create jobs and deliver meaningful economic benefits.  The industry is ready, governemnt need to catch up !

BHB: What was refreshing to hear was the honesty of commentary, particularly around controversial topics like Section 21.What were the highlights of the Summit for you personally?

TB: For me personally, Steve DeAngelo's talk was the highlight of the Summit. He reminded me why so many of us chose to dedicate our lives to this wild, complex industry. Beyond the hype, the noise, the politics and the constant ups and downs, it's actually quite simple: we work in an industry that heals and makes a positive difference to the world.

Cannabis is helping to reshape the global green narrative. It connects deeply with multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals and holds the potential to create real, lasting change in the world. Steve's sobering reminder of the deeper purpose behind our work—and the true essence of the plant—reignited the spark that gets me out of bed every morning. It was a powerful call to stay grounded in our mission.

BHB: In a nutshell, what's the Birch view of the cannabis landscape post the Summit, for the rest of the year?

TB: We have to keep pushing—harder than ever. We're tired. Tired of the sluggish, apathetic pace of legislative change. Tired of powerful industries trying to shove Cannabis back into the shadows. Tired of opportunists entering the space purely to chase profit and acting without integrity. And we're tired of the endless roadblocks that stop us from simply getting on with the work.

The Americans and Canadians have already shown that it's possible to build a legal, thriving Cannabis market. We all know Cannabis is not toxic—so what's the holdup? The answer is clear: prohibitionist mindsets, corporate resistance and government inefficiency. These are the real barriers.

But we won't be stopped. The only way forward is to fight—and fight we will. For the plant. For the people. For the future. No matter how long it takes, we will win.  Overall I am optimistic but we are not going to truly get this industry going without a fight unfortunately. 

BHB: There was a lot of discussion about the private sector needing to work more closely to help government guide cannabis reform. Do you think there'll be any new initiative coming out of the Summit?

Sadly, I don't hold much hope at this point. What became of the Master Plan? Nothing. What progress followed the Phakisa? Very little. And what has the Cannabis Steering Committee produced? Virtually nothing.

We've offered support at every turn and South Africa is home to some brilliant minds who know exactly what needs to be done and how to do it. But the reality is that government remains disorganised and unaligned—as was made painfully clear with the Minister of Health's recent ban.

As an industry, we are ready and willing to engage. We want to build. But for this to work, it has to be a two-way relationship. Without real collaboration, progress will continue to stall—and the opportunity will slip further out of reach.  Things are without a doubt improving and we are seeing a lot more support from gorverment but this is a race to take our global position and without speed we could lose the race.  

BHB: Your take on the Cannabis Expo in general?

TB: The Expo is a vital part of the Cannabis industry matrix and has a powerful role to play in bringing people together and showcasing the industry.  I think this year was a good step forward although I do not feel that the industry supported it as much as they could have.  People are quick to complain but slow to support so I would have liked to see a lot more industry professionals there this year. 

BHB: Cheeba achieved great brand exposure the Summit and the Expo at large; how do you leverage that into Cheeba's strategy going forward? 

TB: We connected with many great people and were very pleased with the quality of the Summit content—it was strong, relevant and helped shape the narrative while driving the conversation forward, which we're proud to have contributed to.

Through our consultancy, we're constantly seeking out visionary clients who want to bring their Cannabis dreams to life and students who are eager to learn and grow at our Academy. Brand building through platforms like the Summit is valuable, but to truly unlock the benefits of these initiatives, we need an enabled industry and a critical mass of support across the value chain.

One exciting initiative we launched at the Expo is the part-time, online version of our 12-week full-time Cannabis course. We recognised that many people are working and simply can't commit to full-time study, so offering a more flexible option has been met with overwhelmingly positive feedback.

The response has been incredibly encouraging—it's clear that there are many passionate individuals who want to enter the Cannabis space and this new format opens the door for more people to do just that.

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