Garth Strachan says government has understandably moved slowly to regulated the sale of cannabis on the domestic market, admitting that the country was facing a ‘crisis of illegality.

The Mail and Guardian reports that Strachan made these comments at a hemp conference in Durban earlier this month. He identified the main areas of concern as

·      Abuse of the Section 21 medical cannabis scheme;

·      The dumping of cannabis on the local market by cultivators unable to export

·      The illegal sale of cannabis under the Traditional Health Practitioners Act

He said that South Africa needed to ensure that it did not become an “outlier” and had to make sure that cannabis production remained in sync with international norms and standards.

“We need to exercise caution with our approach,” Strachan said. He admitted that the medical cannabis sector faced regulatory restraints and that this was being attended to.

The Mail and Guardian also quoted DTIC spokesperson Yamkela Fanisi saying that the Department was working on a commercial strategy now that it was driving the Cannabis Master Plan.

“The Master Plan is now with the [Department of Trade, Industry and Competition],” Fanisi said. “The department is working on the commercial strategy within the legal parameters. Medical cannabis will also be considered.”

“Where there is a need to amend legislation to optimise full commercialisation, a due process will be followed.”

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