Okhahlamba (Bergville) Municipality in the Kwazulu Natal Drakensberg his pinning its hopes to bring down crippling unemployment in the area with the development of a cannabis processing facility. The pilot project is being funded by the province but the Municipality hopes to raise an additional R10 million to bring it to fruition. Okhahlamba (Bergville) Municipality in the Kwazulu Natal Drakensberg his pinning its hopes to bring down crippling unemployment in the area with the development of a cannabis processing facility. The pilot project is being funded by the province but the Municipality hopes to raise an additional R10 million to bring it to fruition. 16 May 2025 at 08:00:00 Thami Magubane, The Mercury KwaZulu Natal now has the highest unemployment rate in the country and the provincial authorities are hoping that the development of a regional cannabis economy will begin reversing that. The Natal Mercury reported on16 May 2025 that Musa Zondi, the MEC for the Department of Economic Development Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Edtea), announced that a new communal cannabis facility is to be constructed at Okhahlamba in the Bergville area of the Drakensberg. Cannabis becoming central to KZN's rural development plans He said the construction of the cannabis processing plant was aimed at enhancing the province’s rural development strategy through the “formalisation and expansion of the cannabis and hemp sector, not as a side project, but as part of a centrally focused legitimate industrial activity”. “In this regard, we are piloting a Shared Cannabis Processing Facility in Bergville, in partnership with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). This initiative will support oil and fibre production and incubate small growers, ensuring traditional producers enter the value chain meaningfully,” said Zondi. The announcement coincided with the release of grim employment figures by StatsSA, indicating that KZN was shedding more jobs than any other province with employment within KZN's agriculture sector declining by 7.8% and manufacturing by a whopping 12.5% . The unemployment rate in the province has risen by a percentage point from 31.9% in the last quarter of last year to 32.9% this year. Okhahlamba (Bergville) Municipality hopes to tackle unemployment and boost the municipal budget by using the planned facility to process cannabis into various products. The municipality has been piloting cultivation programmes among traditional growers for the past three years and the construction of a facility will enable the project to be taken up a notch. Okhahlamba mayor Vikizitha Mlotshwa expressed pride in the cannabis growing operation, stating it is “excellent” and unique compared to other parts of the country. All good, but the budget is still shy of R5 mil He said a facility in the area had been identified as a potential processing site and that the required R10 million could be raised in the coming months to complete the project. “This project started slowly; we planted, harvested, and then hosted an exhibition where many government officials came to see our progress. Edtea was one of the departments that were impressed with what they saw and committed to investing. Other entities have pledged about R5 million already.” Mlotshwa said the aim was “ to produce about 400 products from cannabis, ranging from bath soap to lotion. We do not want to sell our product as raw material, as it yields little profit. Currently, we harvest and sell at low prices to someone who then makes real products and sells those for substantial profits.” He said one machine needed to process cannabis into other products had been received and they were “waiting for an expert to service and assemble the machine while they worked on acquiring a larger machine to process bigger volumes.” # PREVIOUS NEXT What Sets Us Apart ? Cannabiz Africa is the leading B2B news platform for the continent's cannabis industry, connecting you directly with key stakeholders. With over 4,000 unique monthly users and a growing audience of 1,500 engaged Newsline subscribers, we provide unmatched visibility for your brand. Advertise with us today to reach the heart of the industry! Click here, to advertise your brand, product and or service Okhahlamba Hopes Planned ‘Shared Cannabis Processing Facility’ Will Create Jobs as KZN Now Has Highest Unemployment Rate in SA

Harambe Solutions is a professional legal and compliance business in the Cannabis and controlled substances markets. #We are Here to Help Harambe Solutions is a professional legal and compliance business in the Cannabis and controlled substances markets. Impassioned by the plant’s capacity to accelerate the healing history of South Africa, we work in a continuous feedback loop, designing and harmonising our clients’ systems and operations with a creative yet cautious interpretation of the legal and regulatory frameworks across the medicinal, industrial, food and cosmetics, and adult-use Cannabis sectors and spaces. Inspired to deliver robust and fit-for-purpose solutions to its clients, Harambe Solutions strives to become a household name as an inclusive and professional legal advisory and systems services provider in the South African Cannabis, and controlled substances markets. Private Cannabis Clubs Training of Club Employees Design of PCC Management System Model blueprinting & design Compilation of Legal Documents Ongoing Advice & Support Consulting, Feasibility & Legal Advice #Who We Are Systems designer and lawyer, Harambe Solutions founders Marleen Theunissen and Brett Pollack established a synergistic working relationship towards the end of the divided and predominantly prohibitionist era of the South African Cannabis industries. In early 2022 their consistent efforts and commitments culminated in the publication of their Private Cannabis Club: Framework Manual for Set-up & Management , a tool used for the independent set-up and management of a Private Cannabis Club, according to carefully formulated arguments. Naturally, they decided to pull together and galvanise their complementary expertise and in 2023 founded Harambe Solutions at an exciting moment : when, for the first time, the death knells of the prohibitionist era started ringing and the hopes for properly liberated and inclusive Cannabis economies in South Africa became realistic. Approaching a decade of combined, synergistic experience in the Cannabis markets, Harambe Solutions is determined to interactively contribute fit-for-purpose and highly professionalised legal and systems services in the Cannabis and controlled substance markets. Our Management Team Systems designer and lawyer, Harambe Solutions founders Marleen Theunissen and Brett Pollack established a synergistic working relationship towards the end of the divided and predominantly prohibitionist era of the South African Cannabis industries. Learn More Medicinal Cannabis Consulting, Feasibility & Legal Advice SAHPRA License Applications Master File Design & Compilation GACP / GMP System Design Training of Facility Employees Processing Site Inspections

Discover and explore a curated cannabis Business Directory. Coming soon. Cannabiz Africa Marketplace The Business of Cannabis Find out who’s doing what in the rapidly evolving African cannabis market. Your trusted source of business news and views, investment opportunities, corporate developments and our Meet the Team Business Directory. COMING IN FRESH MARKETPLACE BREAKING NEWS ‘Crisis of Illegality’ Getting Worse: Grey Zone Sees More Cops on the Take and Consumers Increasingly Vulnerable Read More Government’s lack of regulations for South Africa’s cannabis sector is perpetuating a ‘crisis of illegality’ that is spinning out of control. The unregulated explosion of the retail ‘grey zone’ has led to mass corruption in the police, employee abuse and lack of consumer protection and a critical intervention is urgently required. The CannaClub : South Africa’s Oldest Private Cannabis Club 10 Years On and Still Going Strong! Read More The CannaClub (TCC) is South Africa’s oldest private cannabis club and had its roots in an informal cannabis ‘stokvel’ in the Western Cape’s Garden Route founded by Herman and Heidi van der Watt way back in 2015. Since then they’ve turned that vision into a leading ‘best business practice' not-for-profit organization with over 4 000 members and firm ties with local legacy cannabis communities and officialdom. Okhahlamba Hopes Planned ‘Shared Cannabis Processing Facility’ Will Create Jobs as KZN Now Has Highest Unemployment Rate in SA 16 May 2025 at 08:00:00 Okhahlamba (Bergville) Municipality in the Kwazulu Natal Drakensberg his pinning its hopes to bring down crippling unemployment in the area with the development of a cannabis processing facility. The pilot project is being funded by the province but the Municipality hopes to raise an additional R10 million to bring it to fruition. Read More Infrastructure Snags Slow Down Rwanda’s Flagship Cannabis Development Project 15 May 2025 at 10:15:00 Rwanda’s Development Board has put up US$1,5 million of the US$3 million needed to complete a major project in partnership with US company KKOG which has already sunk US$10 million into its Musanze facility. The project, already delayed by a year, is now ‘83%’ complete according to the RDB. Read More Synergy to Give Away a Million Rands Worth of Medibles at the Cannabis Expo! 14 May 2025 at 19:15:00 Synergy Wellness will be celebrating its fifth birthday at the Cannabis Expo and spreading the joy with a mass hand out of its new 'medibles' range. Sponsorship of the Expo is a milestone for the group which is now one of the largest medical cannabis distribution networks in the world, with a network of over 250 outlets and a healthy flow of product to market. Read More Cheeba Cannabis & Hemp Summit at the Expo: Major Networking Event Comes at Key Moment in Cannabis Reform 14 May 2025 at 19:15:00 South Africa’s premier cannabis industry networking event will be held alongside the Cannabis Expo taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre on 30 and 31 May 2025. The Cheeba Cannabis and Hemp Industry Summit will bring together cannabis and hemp sector leaders with senior advisor Garth Strachan (pictured above) delivering the keynote address. Read More The CannaClub : South Africa’s Oldest Private Cannabis Club 10 Years On and Still Going Strong! 14 May 2025 at 17:30:00 The CannaClub (TCC) is South Africa’s oldest private cannabis club and had its roots in an informal cannabis ‘stokvel’ in the Western Cape’s Garden Route founded by Herman and Heidi van der Watt way back in 2015. Since then they’ve turned that vision into a leading ‘best business practice' not-for-profit organization with over 4 000 members and firm ties with local legacy cannabis communities and officialdom. Read More Postcard from Berlin: SA Viewed as a ‘Sleeping Giant’ on the Cusp of Something Significant says Nexus' Johann Slabber 14 May 2025 at 13:00:00 Nexus Pharma’s Johann Slabber (pictured here) was at the International Cannabis Conference in Berlin at the end of April and sent us his key take-outs on Europe’s biggest annual cannabis indaba. In the old days, he says, compliance with international standards was a differentiator for South African exporters. Nowdays, it’s a prerequisite if the country is to realise its potential as a world player. Read More ‘Crisis of Illegality’ Getting Worse: Grey Zone Sees More Cops on the Take and Consumers Increasingly Vulnerable 11 May 2025 at 10:30:00 Government’s lack of regulations for South Africa’s cannabis sector is perpetuating a ‘crisis of illegality’ that is spinning out of control. The unregulated explosion of the retail ‘grey zone’ has led to mass corruption in the police, employee abuse and lack of consumer protection and a critical intervention is urgently required. Read More One Year On: Why is the Cannabis Act Still Gathering Dust in the Legislative Parking Bay? 11 May 2025 at 09:30:00 Two stakeholder organizations have asked the Justice Department why it's taking so long to publish the draft regulations that would allow the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act 2024 to finally come into law. Read More Health Minister Says Public Consultations on Regulations for Cannabis and Foodstuffs 'Coming Soon’ 11 May 2025 at 09:00:00 The Health Ministry’s draft regulations around cannabis and foodstuffs will be put out for public comment ‘soon’. That’s according to Minister Aaron Motsoaledi who has yet to explain to stakeholders why he chose a to ban substances that were already illegal and in the process wreaked havoc on the hemp industry. Read More BREAKING BUSINESS NEWS THE CANNABIZ CLASSIFIEDS Cannabiz Africa is the continent's premier B2B news platform. We reach the main industry stakeholders with over 4000+ unique users per month and 1500 Newsline subscribers - and growing. Click Here to advertise. INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES Cape Town is your ideal SA location to invest in the fast-growing South African medicinal cannabis market. The Wesgro Trade Unit provides a free and confidential service to help you establish and grow your business in Cape Town and the Western Cape. Contact us through the Wesgro One Stop Investment Shop here to find out why you should be investing in the Western Cape pharmaceutical hub. EXPORTS SafriCanna is a SAHPRA-registered cultivation and processing facility whose efforts are focused on the growth, cultivation, processing, and export of Medicinal EU-GMP Cannabis products to international markets. See our catalogue of flower products here , Phone: + 27 (0) 10 880 6269; Email: info@safricanna.com, or contact us here GROW EQUIPMENT CapeCanna is your hydroponic cannabis cultivation specialist. We offer the complete range of high quality equipment to set you up. Right now there's a sale on LED grow lights. Click here to buy. We deliver nationwide. LEGAL SERVICES Schindlers is South Africa’s first law firm to have a department dedicated to ‘M&R’ (‘medicinal’ & ‘recreational’) cannabis law, advising both international and local clients. We have been experts in the Cannabis field for years, and were instrumental in cases leading to the Constitutional Court ruling that legalized the personal consumption of cannabis in a private space. Click here to get connected with us . CULTIVATION EQUIPMENT Specialists in AC Infinity grow equipment and much more - from homegrow to commercial set-ups. All your pre- to -post harvesting requirements under one roof at www.rockandrolled.co.za . You won't be disappointed in our range and quality. Easy, secure payments, delivery nationwide. PRIVATE CLUBS Our self-regulatory grow club model supports the non-commercial, responsible sharing of cannabis within private social clubs with full tracking available on all cannabis products shared. Our model encourages good business practices, ultimately supporting sustainable small business growth within this new industry. To start your club journey contact Kirsten now: compliance@growone.africa " CANNABIS CONSULTANTS White Lion Consulting has been a pioneer in the South African cannabis industry, specializing in helping internatonal and local investors find opportunities, draw up business plans, design facilities and obtain SAHPRA approval. Check out our website, www.whitelionholdings.co.za and out our feature in MMJ.Daily For more information contact Cornel van de Watt cornel@whitelionholdings.co.za . CANNABIS EXPO The Gauteng Cannabis Expo returns bigger and better next year. It will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre on 30 and 31 May 2025. Get in early for sponsorship opportunities and exhibitor bookings. Contact Sarah for more details at sarah@thecannabisexpo.co.za . OFFTAKE AGREEMENTS Nexus is an agri-pharma company offering value addd services to the South African Cannabis Industry. We specialize in exporting final packaged products and cannabis flower to international markets, including the UK, Australia, UAE, Europe, and the USA. Read our Cannabiz Africa story here and then Contact us here FULL SERVICES Cheeba Africa is a pioneering company providing Cannabis & hemp services across the supply chain. Cheeba Cannabis & Hemp Academy - Africa's leading & only Higher Education accredited national education and training offering. Cheeba Cannabis & Hemp Consulting - Offering services from medical farm builds to offtakes. www.cheebaafrica.com www.cheebacannabisconsulting.com JOBS OFFERED Experienced budtenders sought for private clubs in Polokwane, Hoedspruit, Tzaneen and Haenertsberg. Ideally people who already live in those areas and have a Cheeba or comparable certification. People without experience should not reply. For more details contact Liz at lizviv7@gmail.com Africa Premier Cannabis Academy Get educated, get involved, and get ahead in the Cannabis and Hemp Industry. Choose from a range of our online self-study and blended learning Cannabis courses where you can study at your own pace and join online classes. Or join us at our Rivonia (Johannesburg) flagship campus or our Plettenberg Bay satellite campus for full and part-time study opportunities or check out our workshops, short courses and master classes that we hold in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Contact us at email: info@cheebaafrica.com or call our Business Whatsapp line on 073 384 3721. What Sets Us Apart ? Cannabiz Africa is the leading B2B news platform for the continent's cannabis industry, connecting you directly with key stakeholders. With over 4,000 unique monthly users and a growing audience of 1,500 engaged Newsline subscribers, we provide unmatched visibility for your brand. Advertise with us today to reach the heart of the industry! Click here, to advertise your brand, product and or service

Discover and explore a curated cannabis Business Directory. Coming soon. CANNABIZ AFRICA’S CLUBS ZONE Private Cannabis Clubs (PCC’s) have become a feature of the South African cannabis landscape. They have proliferated in the past few years and offer a safe, legal environment for cannabis consumers. However, although PCC’s fit the constitutional bill in that they allow use in a private space, the zone remains in a legal grey area pending finalization of coherent cannabis legislation. Stay abreast of all the news affecting private cannabis clubs here at Cannabiz Africa. The CannaClub : South Africa’s Oldest Private Cannabis Club 10 Years On and Still Going Strong! Read More The CannaClub (TCC) is South Africa’s oldest private cannabis club and had its roots in an informal cannabis ‘stokvel’ in the Western Cape’s Garden Route founded by Herman and Heidi van der Watt way back in 2015. Since then they’ve turned that vision into a leading ‘best business practice' not-for-profit organization with over 4 000 members and firm ties with local legacy cannabis communities and officialdom. Five Red Flags That Should Alert Cannabis Investors to Scams Read More Despite the lack of guiding regulations, the South African cannabis retail sector is booming – and attracting millions of rands of investment. Investors have climbed into the ‘grey zone’, despite the sale of cannabis being illegal – and many have been taken for a ride. If you’re looking to invest in any cannabis business, these are the five red flags you should look out for. Join the Dixie Jane Private Cannabis Club from anywhere in South Africa. FREE membership for over 21's Cannabiz Africa offers you the chance to become a member of the Dixie Jane private cannabis club, a curated top-shelf experience. Membership is FREE and easy. Become a member anywhere in South Africa and enjoy the benefits of club membership from your own home. Delivery for members nationwide. Dixie Jane Craft Cannabis is more than just a provider of premium cannabis flower, pre-rolls, and edibles. We’re a South African private cannabis club that prioritizes community, quality, and convenience. Dixie Jane, is committed to providing a safe, legal, and enjoyable experience for our members. Ready to begin? Get started in three easy steps. Once you have joined you will receive direct confirmation, for further information contact hello@dixiejane.co.za 01. Create your account Simply create your new membership account with your own unique username and password. We’ll send you an email explaining all the details and the next steps. Sign Up 02. Verify you’re over 21 To ensure a secure and compliant experience, we’ll ask you to quickly verify your age by scanning your ID after signing up. This helps protect both you and Dixie Jane. Sign Up 03. Withdraw your stash Welcome to the collective. Prepare to indulge in premium products meticulously curated for your enjoyment. Delivered discreetly to your doorstep. Sign Up CLUB ZONE BREAKING NEWS CLUBS The CannaClub : South Africa’s Oldest Private Cannabis Club 10 Years On and Still Going Strong! Read More ACTIVISM Cannabis King Khoisan’s Protest Palace at the Union Buildings Demolished Read More LEGALITY Presidency’s Control of Cannabis Reform Threatened by the Growing ‘Crisis of Illegality’ Read More SA OUTLOOK 2025: A Year for Removing the Rocks on the Road to Cannabis Reform Read More THE LAW Leaked NPA Guide on ‘Dagga Dealing Shops’ is Confusing But Appears to Endorse Private Cannabis Club Model Read More NEW CANNABIS LAWS Just When You Thought You Were No Longer a Criminal, Take a Look at the New Cannabis Transgression Laws Coming Your Way Read More LEGALITY The Law Seems Certain About One Thing: Private Cannabis Clubs Are Neither Illegal Or Legal Read More THC CASE THC Settles Appeal Bid Out of Court, Status of Private Clubs Remains Uncertain Read More MODELS Driving the Private Club Revolution: GrowOneAfrica’s Self-Regulatory Model Makes Both Cannabis Consumers and the Taxman Happy Read More THE CANNABIZ CLASSIFIEDS Cannabiz Africa is the continent's premier B2B news platform. We reach the main industry stakeholders with over 4000+ unique users per month and 1500 Newsline subscribers - and growing. Click Here to advertise. INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES Medical Cannabis Investment Opportunities in W Cape Cape Town is your ideal SA location to invest in the fast-growing South African medicinal cannabis market. The Wesgro Trade Unit provides a free and confidential service to help you establish and grow your business in Cape Town and the Western Cape. Contact us through the Wesgro One Stop Investment Shop here to find out why you should be investing in the Western Cape pharmaceutical hub. EXPORTS Top Quality SA Flower Available for Export SafriCanna is a SAHPRA-registered cultivation and processing facility whose efforts are focused on the growth, cultivation, processing, and export of Medicinal EU-GMP Cannabis products to international markets. See our catalogue of flower products here , Phone: + 27 (0) 10 880 6269; Email: info@safricanna.com, or contact us here GROW EQUIPMENT CapeCanna LED Lights Sale Now On CapeCanna is your hydroponic cannabis cultivation specialist. We offer the complete range of high quality equipment to set you up. Right now there's a sale on LED grow lights. Click here to buy. We deliver nationwide. LEGAL SERVICES Schindlers Dedicated Cannabis Law Department For All Legal Requirements Schindlers is South Africa’s first law firm to have a department dedicated to ‘M&R’ (‘medicinal’ & ‘recreational’) cannabis law, advising both international and local clients. We have been experts in the Cannabis field for years, and were instrumental in cases leading to the Constitutional Court ruling that legalized the personal consumption of cannabis in a private space. Click here to get connected with us . What Sets Us Apart ? Cannabiz Africa is the leading B2B news platform for the continent's cannabis industry, connecting you directly with key stakeholders. With over 4,000 unique monthly users and a growing audience of 1,500 engaged Newsline subscribers, we provide unmatched visibility for your brand. Advertise with us today to reach the heart of the industry! Click here, to advertise your brand, product and or service

Cannabiz-Africa is your hub for all cannabis news and resources. Everything from breaking news, cannabis politics, business investments, legal policies and a marketplace network where we connect you with local businesses. Be in the know with the hottest, freshest and most up-to date hemp movements. WHY CANNABIZ AFRICA? Cannabiz Africa is Africa's leading B2B cannabis news platform. Let us expose your brand, products and service to the African cannabis marketplace. See our sponsorship and advertising details below. Click here, to advertise your brand, product and or service Key Facts: Established in 2020 by veteran journalist Brett Hilton-Barber Published over 1 000 news reports since then Based in Tzaneen, Limpopo Province SA Readership includes key decision-makers across the value chain in the African cannabis industry; Over 4,000 unique users 1 500 subscribers to the weekly Newsline Fourfold increase in traffic over the past three months 80% of readers in SA with a nationwide footprint (130 cities, towns, villages) Most international readers are from the US, UK, Germany, Canada and the Netherlands Also regular site visitors from China, Vietnam, Thailand, Brazil, Jamaica, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Poland, Iceland, Azerbaijan, Russia and Ukraine Reaching African readers in Namibia, eSwatini, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and Mauritius What Sets Us Apart ? Cannabiz Africa is the leading B2B news platform for the continent's cannabis industry, connecting you directly with key stakeholders. With over 4,000 unique monthly users and a growing audience of 1,500 engaged Newsline subscribers, we provide unmatched visibility for your brand. Advertise with us today to reach the heart of the industry! Click here, to advertise your brand, product and or service

HYDROBIZ TOP SELLING PRODUCTS HYDROBIZ in the News Dep Lights at the End of the Tunnel! How Hydrobiz Bucked the Consolidation Trend in Home Grow Retail Location 26 Losack Ave, Goodwood, Cape Town, 7475, South Africa Hydrobiz Sea Point, Regent Road, Sea Point, Cape Town, South Africa Hydrobiz Woodstock, Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock, Cape Town, South Africa Hydrobiz Table View, 5 Marine Circle, Table View, Cape Town, South Africa Hydrobiz We have everything a Home Grower needs. We supply both local and international high-quality products. What People Say About Us Awesome store, great service and the had everything I was looking for with all the product knowledge I could hope for. - Darryn Patel 5/5 Brilliant shop, helpful & experienced assistance and a massive range of products. I'll be back sooner than later! - Craig Stack 5/5 We've helped do this, now let us help you! GET IN TOUCH http://info@hydrobiz.co.za View Website What Sets Us Apart ? Cannabiz Africa is the leading B2B news platform for the continent's cannabis industry, connecting you directly with key stakeholders. With over 4,000 unique monthly users and a growing audience of 1,500 engaged Newsline subscribers, we provide unmatched visibility for your brand. Advertise with us today to reach the heart of the industry! Click here, to advertise your brand, product and or service

Find out more about the CHEEBA AFRICA Academy, what courses are availbe, academy reviews and the latest Cheeba News. This is a curated summary of what you can expect to find on the CHEEBA AFRICA website. Get in Touch with Us Reach us on our business Whatsapp line on 073 384 3721. All media enquiries must please be directed to Liquid Lingo: jackie@liquidlingo.co.za Or view our website to find out more about us, who we are and how we contribute to the cannabis society. Cheeba Website STUDY CANNABIS COURSES IN SOUTH AFRICA WITH CHEEBA CANNABIS ACADEMY; AFRICA'S FIRST DEDICATED CANNABIS ACADEMY Enrol now and join this exciting industry! OUR EDUCATION PARTNERS Location Nevada Eden Park, 4th Avenue, Edenburg, Sandton, South Africa 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. CHEEBA AFRICA in the News CHEEBA AFRICA Get educated, get involved, and get ahead in the cannabis industry at Africa’s leading cannabis educator. As our industry grows, so will the need for skilled people to help keep pace with consumer demands. We offer cannabis courses in South Africa and online for those starting out in the cannabis industry, those who are looking to add cannabis skills to an existing role and people who are curious about how cannabis can help with their personal health and wellness. Choose from a range of our online self study and blended learning cannabis courses where you can study at your own pace and join online classes. If you want to get more hands on join us at our Rivonia (Johannesburg) flagship campus or our Plettenberg Bay satellite campus for full and part time study opportunities or check out our workshops, short courses and master classes that we hold in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Alternatively gain hands-on experience in the Cannabis industry through the Cheeba Cannabis Academy Internship Program. Our Cannabis internship program runs for 4 weeks at our Plettenberg Bay Campus and is the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself into a working Cannabis Social Club growing onsite in line with the ENCOD model while also having access to the wide array of outdoor activities and experiences that the world renowned Garden Route has to offer. We also offer consulting services through our partner company Cheeba Cannabis Consulting where we have partnered with industry experts to delivery excellent service. We do not claim to know everything, but where we might not have the knowledge or expertise, through our collective network of experts we sure know someone who does. Our approach is that of partnership with our clients so we work closely on any project to ensure that risks are managed, targets and deadlines are met and ROI is front of mind every step of the way. Find out more about us on our website! PRAYERS ANSWERED - lmsdias@yahoo.com on Dec 14, 2021 " I'm loving this course, I have had Multiple Sclerosis since 94 (primary progressive), and cannabis since 05 has been in my daily treatment. I have lost everything with this illness (work, friends, self respect) and MS is a bitch in alot of ways because the dibalitating pain/symptons can't be seen by others. The Neuropathic pain is real and there are alot of times I feel like dying. I am so happy that all my research since my diagnosis has not been lost. I have hope now to get a job and to be able to help people with chronic pain ailments like MS, Cancer, auto immune etc. Having MS I can't walk for long periods of time however I am still walking. I know Cannabis has kept me out of a wheelchair. I have Faith that I will work in a dispensary for Cheeba and will be able to help other patients with great advice and using myself as a testimony of what God's healing plant has done for me. Thank you for your comprehensive course, i am enjoying so much. This is the best Christmas gift I could have bought myself. I wish all employees of Cheeba a Beautiful Christmas season with loads of laughter and love. Kind regards Miguel " YOU NEED THIS COURSE IF YOU ARE STARTING OUT IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY - Ananda on May 28, 2021 " I can highly recommend this course to anyone starting out in the Cannabis Industry as it covers all the important fundamentals and the online format is really user-friendly. I found the video clips from medical experts in the field, that help back up info presented in the course, especially valuable. This course provided me with a real science-based knowledge on cannabis and got me excited about the future of the Industry. It also cleared up a number of misconceptions I had about cannabis. This course furthermore empowered me to help others by being able to share my knowledge, to help them make informed choices about CBD products - Founder of Healthy and Happy Online " WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND - Zander on May 19, 2021 " A very well set out course that I have found extremely beneficial. Not only did this course build on my knowledge of cannabis but also put me in touch with a network of like minded individuals. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of going through the course work. In my opinion, this is the best place to start if you are looking at entering the Cannabis industry." What People Say About Us

Cannabiz-Africa is your hub for all cannabis news and resources. Everything from breaking news, cannabis politics, business investments, legal policies and a marketplace network where we connect you with local businesses. Be in the know with the hottest, freshest and most up-to date hemp movements. LEGAL NEWS FEATURE The Tier-Drop Solution: Here’s How to Rein in the Cannabis Cowboys and Regulate the ‘Grey Zone’ Read More South Arica is in urgent need of a cannabis retail licensing system as the so-called ‘grey zone’ expands beyond regulatory reach. Charl Botha of H3 Legal Solutions has put forward a cannabis retail model that could address the absurdity of a system that criminalizes legitimate entrepreneurs and mainstreams drug dealers - and all the while emasculating officialdom. 24 Hour bail hotline call 0631740938 CANNABIZ AFRICA LEGAL DESK Your guide to the latest news and views on legal developments in the African Cannabis Industry. Keep up to date with policy changes, court cases, corporate activity, activism and news from the legislature. Synergy to Give Away a Million Rands Worth of Medibles at the Cannabis Expo! 14 May 2025 at 19:15:00 Synergy Wellness will be celebrating its fifth birthday at the Cannabis Expo and spreading the joy with a mass hand out of its new 'medibles' range. Sponsorship of the Expo is a milestone for the group which is now one of the largest medical cannabis distribution networks in the world, with a network of over 250 outlets and a healthy flow of product to market. Read More Cheeba Cannabis & Hemp Summit at the Expo: Major Networking Event Comes at Key Moment in Cannabis Reform 14 May 2025 at 19:15:00 South Africa’s premier cannabis industry networking event will be held alongside the Cannabis Expo taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre on 30 and 31 May 2025. The Cheeba Cannabis and Hemp Industry Summit will bring together cannabis and hemp sector leaders with senior advisor Garth Strachan (pictured above) delivering the keynote address. Read More The CannaClub : South Africa’s Oldest Private Cannabis Club 10 Years On and Still Going Strong! 14 May 2025 at 17:30:00 The CannaClub (TCC) is South Africa’s oldest private cannabis club and had its roots in an informal cannabis ‘stokvel’ in the Western Cape’s Garden Route founded by Herman and Heidi van der Watt way back in 2015. Since then they’ve turned that vision into a leading ‘best business practice' not-for-profit organization with over 4 000 members and firm ties with local legacy cannabis communities and officialdom. Read More Postcard from Berlin: SA Viewed as a ‘Sleeping Giant’ on the Cusp of Something Significant says Nexus' Johann Slabber 14 May 2025 at 13:00:00 Nexus Pharma’s Johann Slabber (pictured here) was at the International Cannabis Conference in Berlin at the end of April and sent us his key take-outs on Europe’s biggest annual cannabis indaba. In the old days, he says, compliance with international standards was a differentiator for South African exporters. Nowdays, it’s a prerequisite if the country is to realise its potential as a world player. Read More ‘Crisis of Illegality’ Getting Worse: Grey Zone Sees More Cops on the Take and Consumers Increasingly Vulnerable 11 May 2025 at 10:30:00 Government’s lack of regulations for South Africa’s cannabis sector is perpetuating a ‘crisis of illegality’ that is spinning out of control. The unregulated explosion of the retail ‘grey zone’ has led to mass corruption in the police, employee abuse and lack of consumer protection and a critical intervention is urgently required. Read More One Year On: Why is the Cannabis Act Still Gathering Dust in the Legislative Parking Bay? 11 May 2025 at 09:30:00 Two stakeholder organizations have asked the Justice Department why it's taking so long to publish the draft regulations that would allow the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act 2024 to finally come into law. Read More Health Minister Says Public Consultations on Regulations for Cannabis and Foodstuffs 'Coming Soon’ 11 May 2025 at 09:00:00 The Health Ministry’s draft regulations around cannabis and foodstuffs will be put out for public comment ‘soon’. That’s according to Minister Aaron Motsoaledi who has yet to explain to stakeholders why he chose a to ban substances that were already illegal and in the process wreaked havoc on the hemp industry. Read More Unapologetic Health Minister Won’t Acknowledge Damage Done by Cannabis Foodstuff Ban, Which He Says Was “To Protect Children” 11 May 2025 at 07:30:00 Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi (pictured here) says he didn’t seek public comment on his shock cannabis in foodstuffs ban because legally he didn’t have to. Answering a question in the National Assembly, the Minister said the ban was issued as a prohibition notice which meant he could take an executive decision without consultation, and he did so to protect youngsters from harm. Read More CASP Cannabis Funding: Forget About Applying if You’re White and Afrikaans But it's OK if You're Chinese 10 May 2025 at 18:45:00 If you’re Chinese and holding South African citizenship you may qualify for cannabis funding under the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme, but forget about it if you’re white and Afrikaans. That’s according to the eligibility criteria for grants from the controversial state funding entity. Read More Govt-Funded Silver Tree Cannabis Project: No Training, No SAHPRA License and BTW the Director Used to Work for the Land Bank 10 May 2025 at 13:30:00 Silver Tree cannabis farm's director is a former Land Bank manager specialising in BEE transactions who conceptualized his cannabis ‘vision’ during his last year at the Bank in 2019. Simphiwe Yako is the man behind Silver Tree which is accused of misappropriating R20 million in government funding for cannabis training. Read More Namibia’s Jailed Cannabis Organization President Brian Jaftha Ends Hunger Strike 9 May 2025 at 11:00:00 The jailed Ganja Users of Namibia leader Brian Jaftha (pictured here) ended his hunger strike after five days following the intervention of Namibia’s presidency which says that it will pick up on his human rights complaints. And it looks like he may be out on parole soon. Read More Rastas Lead the Drive for ‘Full Adult-Use' Cannabis Legalization in Botswana 9 May 2025 at 10:30:00 Botswana’s President Duma Boko is to legalize medical and industrial cannabis under his new government, but the nation’s Rastafarian community wants him to go further and legalize cannabis for full adult-use. Read More Essential Reading: Current Cannabis Regulations in South Africa 2025 9 May 2025 at 09:45:00 The global CBD industry continues to grow rapidly, and South Africa has positioned itself as one of the most progressive CBD markets in Africa. While CBD products are legally available to consumers, there is still a degree of uncertainty around the regulations—especially concerning dosage limits, THC content, and product categories. Read More CASP: The Rot at the Core of Government’s Plans to Fund Cannabis Training 7 May 2025 at 16:45:00 It beggars belief that the state entity involved in funding the fraudulent Gupta-linked Free State dairy scheme, is now disbursing cannabis funding on behalf of the Agriculture Department. But, yup, it’s true, and there should be no surprise that the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme is behind the missing R20 million earmarked for West Rand cannabis training Read More Cannabis Becoming a Human Rights Issue in Namibia as Jailed Activist Brian Jaftha Embarks on a Hunger Strike 7 May 2025 at 17:30:00 Cannabis has become a human rights issue more than ever in Namibia as the country becomes the new frontline in the push for legalization. Following last week’s protest march in Windhoek, jailed Namibian cannabis leader Brian Jaftha has gone on hunger strike in a call for human rights Read More The Tier-Drop Solution: Here’s How to Rein In the Cannabis Cowboys and Regulate the ‘Grey Zone’ 5 May 2025 at 09:30:00 South Arica is in urgent need of a cannabis retail licensing system as the so-called ‘grey zone’ expands beyond regulatory reach. Charl Botha of H3 Legal Solutions has put forward a cannabis retail model that could address the absurdity of a system that criminalizes legitimate entrepreneurs and mainstreams drug dealers - and all the while emasculating officialdom. Read More Cheeba’s Trenton Birch: R20 million Govt Cannabis Training Shambles is ‘Sadly, Typical’ 4 May 2025 at 16:45:00 The founder and CEO of South Africa’s leading cannabis skills and training academy says he’s not surprised that Gauteng Government has mismanaged a West Rand training scheme in which R20 million appears to have been misappropriated. Cheeba Africa’s Trenton Birch says this is a “sadly, typical government project”. Read More Govt Quietly Overhauls Hemp Regulations in a Major Way, Confirms THC Limit Will Be Raised to 2% 3 May 2025 at 17:00:00 Government has quietly overhauled its hemp farming regulations, confirming the lift in THC limits to 2%, dropping fencing requirements and size restrictions and getting the police out of the picture. This has emerged from a written response by Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen to a question in Parliament on the National Cannabis Master Plan. Read More Cannabis Legalization on the Agenda As Tanzania Prepares for October Elections 3 May 2025 at 08:45:00 Activists in Tanzania are calling on the government to legalise cannabis as the country prepares for a general election in October 2025, which the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) is expected to win. However, it appears there's still a long road ahead for any softening of prohibitionist attitudes in the East African country. Read More DA Accuses Gauteng Govt of Blowing R20 Million on West Rand Cannabis Project ‘That Has Nothing To Show For It’ 2 May 2025 at 11:30:00 The Democratic Alliance is taking on Gauteng’s Agriculture Department for wasting money on an ill-advised cannabis project at Tarlton near Mogale City. The Silver Tree project received R20 million funding to train cannabis farmers, but the money appears to have vanished without being spent on its intended purpose. Read More Synergy Medibles' Robin Grobelaar: Making Plant Alchemy Work Within the Rules 30 April 2025 at 16:15:00 Robin Grobelaar (pictured here) is the man behind Synergy Medibles, the innovative business concept that has navigated the hazards of the current regulatory regime to produce SAH|PRA compliant ‘medibles. He explains to Cannabiz Africa publisher Brett Hilton-Barber how these edibles are not foodstuffs at all, but are complementary medicines in line with the regulator’s consumer safety guidelines. Read More Namibian Chiefs: Legalization 'Will Bring Madness to the People' 3 May 2025 at 09:00:00 Former Namibian Justice Minister and Ongandjera Traditional Authority spokesperson, Sakeus Shangula (pictured here), says cannabis legalization runs against the grain of the country’s commitment to prevent substance abuse. He says there is increased alcohol and tobacco consumption amongst Namibia’s youth and any form of legalization will make matters worse. Read More Namibian Cannabis Activists to Take to Windhoek’s Streets This Saturday to Call for Legalization 30 April 2025 at 10:30:00 The cannabis legalization movement in Namibia is gathering momentum as a second protest march is planned for this Saturday in the capital. More protests are planned ahead of a July court hearing challenging the constitutionality of cannabis prohibition. Read More Freedom Day Not: Police Harassment Worse Since Rasta Round Table in February 28 April 2025 at 07:00:00 The Human Rights Commission tried to broker a halt to cannabis arrests during its Rasta Round Table meeting between communities and SAPS in February this year. SAPS played hardball then, and still are – the harassment of Rastafarians around the country is getting worse. Read More If Govt Taxed the ‘Grey Zone’, There’d Be No VAT Increase Debate 28 April 2025 at 06:30:00 A cannabis 'sin tax' could conceivably remove or reduce the perceived need to raise VAT by 0.5 percentage points. That’s the view of the Daily Maverick’s Ed Stoddard, who says that cannabis remains the missing link in Treasury’s arsenal of taxes. Read More Standard Bank Interested in Financing the ‘Organic Products’ Sector, Cannabis Just Happens to be Part of That! 27 April 2025 at 10:00:00 Mainstream banks are beginning to nibble at the prospect of financing cannabis businesses as calls mount for the Government to remove the obstacles to funding this sector. Standard Bank is seeking more to business in the ‘organic’ market as a way of tip-toeing into the cannabis space. Read More 420 Day Used to Raise Anti-Drug Awareness at Schools and Churches 23 April 2025 at 16:00:00 An anti-drug agency has used 420 Day to push back against the “rising normalization of cannabis use among teens. World Changers Candidate (WCC) says South Africa is facing a ‘generational emergency’ in drug use in young people and has teamed up with Elspark Hoerskool to push back against cannabis use by kids. Read More Cannabis Policy Paralysis is Scaring Off Investors and Eroding Consumer Trust 23 April 2025 at 13:30:00 The government’s inability to craft a meaningful framework for the development of a domestic cannabis industry is keeping investors away and eroding consumer trust. That’s the view of the former CE of the Tobacco Institute of SA, who says authorities urgently need to develop an integrated strategy for the industry to keep cannabis reform afloat. Read More Five Red Flags That Should Alert Cannabis Investors to Scams 22 April 2025 at 13:00:00 Despite the lack of guiding regulations, the South African cannabis retail sector is booming – and attracting millions of rands of investment. Investors have climbed into the ‘grey zone’, despite the sale of cannabis being illegal – and many have been taken for a ride. If you’re looking to invest in any cannabis business, these are the five red flags you should look out for. Read More Tangled Webb of Woe: Detectives After Gauteng Cannabis Scam Artist for Skimming Investors 22 April 2025 at 11:30:00 A disgruntled investor has hired a private security company to try and track down 34 year old Christopher Webb, the man alleged to have scammed hundreds of thousands of rands off many people in a fake cannabis scheme involving South African farmers. Read More Half-Baked: Prospective Private Club Partnership Falls Apart in Crypto Fundraising Muddle 22 April 2025 at 10:15:00 Iconic Cape Town private cannabis club Baked has to repay a prospective partner R5,7 million after disagreement over a promised crypto-currency fund-raising deal that never materialized. Baked’s appeal against having to repay the funds has been dismissed by the Western Cape High Court. Read More Namibian Activists Call for Legalization of Medical Cannabis on 420 Day 22 April 2025 at 10:00:00 Namibian cannabis activists marched in Windhoek on 20 April 2025 to mark 420 Day and to call for the legalization of medical cannabis. The march, led by advocate Borro Ndungula (pictured here) of the Ganja Users of Namibia (GUN), was aimed at highlighting an upcoming court case challenging the Government’s prohibitionist stance.. Read More Medigrow Investors Pause Funding for Eastern Cape Cannabis Project Because of Hemp Foodstuff Ban 16 April 2025 at 10:30:00 Medigrow’s international investors have pressed the pause button on further investment in the company’s R1 billion Eastern Cape cannabis project because of the lack of clarity over South Africa’s hemp policy. The company has been caught up in the aftermath of the now-rescinded hemp foodstuff ban and has halted operations while ‘sensitive negotiations’ are underway to seek resolution. Read More Major International Cannabis Conference Coming to SA: Overcoming Barriers and Developing Standards 16 April 2025 at 10:30:00 A major international conference on ‘Barriers to Entry’ in the cannabis industry is to take place in South Africa next month. The ASTM conference will also look at refining international standards on cannabis food and beverages. Deadline for registration is next week. Read More Probably a World Record: Nigeria Destroys 1,4 Million Tons of Illegal Cannabis in One Go 14 April 2025 at 11:00:00 Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) carried out what is probably the biggest cannabis burn ever: 1,4 million tons of cannabis were destroyed in Abuja at the weekend as part of a public drug awareness campaign. By way of comparison, legal cannabis sales in the US in 2023 amounted to less than 3 000 tons. Read More CSIR tells President: All our Cannabis Foodstuff Products Have Always Been Legal 14 April 2025 at 09:45:00 The CSIR says it has incubated scores of small businesses to process and trade in cannabis-related foodstuffs and all have been within the guidelines laid down by SAHPRA and the Department of Agriculture. This emerged during the President’s tour of the CSIR’s cannabis research unit last week - which had its lighter moments! Read More Synergy’s Hodes: There’s No Regulatory Uncertainty Around Medical Cannabis and the Market is Growing 9 April 2025 at 20:00:00 Fast-growing Synergy Wellness is the headline sponsor for this year’s Cannabis Expo and will be using the event as a major drive to make people aware of the medical benefits of cannabis. Synergy director Jon Hodes (pictured here) believes health and wellness will be one of the most sustainable sectors of the new cannabis market and has structured the company’s business plan around this. Read More Main Networking Event of the Year: Cheeba Africa’s Industry Summit at Cannabis Expo 9 April 2025 at 18:30:00 Cheeba Africa has announced it will hold a two day ‘Cannabis and Hemp Summit’ at the Cannabis Expo to bring stakeholders together to network, upskill and develop their business concepts. It will also provide a forum for the industry to discuss how best to deal with Government in the imminent ‘stakeholder discussons’ on cannabis policy. Read More Medical Research Council: Standardize THC Dosage Limits and Labelling Guidelines 8 April 2025 at 13:30:00 The SAMRC has called for standardized dosage regulations for THC edible products and appropriate labelling guidelines. It says legalization of cannabis carries risks for youngsters and with edibles consumption on the rise, authorities need to be increasingly conscious of consumer safety. Read More Big Alcohol Wants to Be Tennessee’s Hemp Regulator: ‘It’s Like Asking the Malboro Man to Run a Yoga Studo’ 7 April 2025 at 11:00:00 Big Booze is nervous. Alcohol sales are dropping and cannabis consumption is rising. In the US, Tennessee Alcoholic Hemp Commission wants to be the regulator of the cannabis industry. Columnist Stephen Brown from Nothing But Hemp says this is a bad idea: a cannabinoid is not something you chase with lime and salt, and that maybe scientists should be in charge. Read More Stakeholder Pressure: Foodstuff Ban Sorted, Now Scrap the Drugs Act! 7 April 2025 at 07:00:00 Cannabis reform cannot proceed while cannabis is still defined as an illicit substance. That’s the view of activist lawyer, Charl Botha, who has written to President Ramaphosa, saying that his proposed stakeholder engagement will be hollow as long as the Drugs Act is in force. Read More Political Pressure Forces Last-Minute Postponement of Botswana Hemp Conference 5 April 2025 at 11:30:00 Pressure from opposition political parties forced the last minute postponement of the Botswana Inaural Hemp Business Conferrence, which will now only take place in July. Read More Eight SAHPRA Cannabis Cultivators Lose Their Licenses 4 April 2025 at 08:45:00 Eight cannabis farming companies have lost their Section 22 cultivation licenses. This has been confirmed by SAHPRA, which says two were due to permanent facility closures, three were revoked and four were cancelled. Read More Stakeholder Input Meaningless Until Govt Sorts Out the ‘Three Ministry Muddle’ 2 April 2025 at 15:30:00 President Ramphosa’s bold move to shift stakeholder engagement to the centre of the cannabis policy debate has assuaged an industry injured by the flip-flop of the cannabis foodstuff. But unless Government sorts out its ‘three ministry muddle’ ahead of industry consultation, any good advice it receives will remain out in the vortex Read More Last Mover Advantage: Botswana Better Placed Than SA to Become Regional Hemp Powerhouse 2 April 2025 at 14:30:00 Botswana looks set to bypass the regulatory nightmare that has beset South Africa's industrial cannabis industry by putting in a set of rules for the game before it opens up the market. Neighbouring South Africa, by comparison, has found itself in a quandary where permits are being issued with no clear market guidelines yet in place. Read More Govt Must Learn its Cannabis Lesson When it Comes to Regulating Tobacco Products 31 March 2025 at 11:30:00 Government has committed itself to stakeholder engagement over future cannabis policy but this approach should not apply to this sector alone. The new Tobacco bill is due to reach Parliament soon, but in its current form it’s unlikely to pass constitutional muster. In order to avoid the same fate as the Cannabis Act, which is stuck in a legislative vacuum, Sifiso Skenjana, (pictured here) says authorities should listen to industry objections before trying to pass new laws affecting them. Read More Presribed Maximums Likely to Be Most Contentious Point in Cannabis Act Regulations 30 March 2025 at 16:30:00 The Justice Department is to circulate its proposed regulations for the Cannabis Act for stakeholder comment before they are gazetted. The most contentious regulations are likely to be the number of plants one may privately cultivated says leading cannabis lawyer Paul-Michael Keichel (pictured here) Read More SANDF: Cross Border Cannabis Trafficking Almost a ‘Daily Occurrence’ 30 March 2025 at 10:30:00 The SANDF has been deployed for the last six months along the South Africa’s northern and eastern borders to combat transnational smuggling. Defence Web reports that this month’s seizure of R1,5 m worth of cannabis on the border between KwaZulu Natal and eSwatini highlights how porous the country’s frontiers are to drug smugglers. Read More Minister’s Unbanning of Illegal Edibles Creates Wrong Impression That They’re Now Legal 30 March 2025 at 09:45:00 Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi’s clumsy attempt to protect consumers by banning cannabis-related foodstuffs continues to create market confusion even though the ban has been rescinded. There is a widespread perception among cannabis consumers that with the lifting of the ban, edibles are legal. They’re not, warns FGFA’s Myrtle Clarke (pictured here). Read More Health Minister ‘Not Disappointed’ That His Ban Was Lifted, Says President Understands His Safety Concerns 29 March 2025 at 10:00:00 The Health Minister was one of thousands of stakeholders who was ‘not disappointed’ by the lifting of his ban on cannabis-related foodstuffs. Dr Motsoaledi made this bizarre remark in an interview with News24, in which he emphasized that there was still an urgent need for regulation of such products in order to protect consumers. Read More Big Shape-Shift Underway: Justice Dept Now to Get Public Input Before Deciding on Regulations Governing Cannabis Act 28 March 2025 at 09:00:00 The public will be able to have its say on the long-awaited regulations governing the Cannabis Act before they are formalized by the Justice Department. This major shift in government’s approach to the private sector was almost thrown in an as an after-thought in Wednesday’s post-cabinet briefing, but, people, this is a bigger deal than it seems. Read More Cabinet Privately Reprimands Health Minister, Nips Department’s 'Grand Plan’ in the Bud 28 March 2025 at 07:45:00 It’s not clear exactly what the Health Department’s unilateral ‘grand plan’ for cannabis and foodstuffs was, but it has come crashing down before it got out the starting blocks. Cabinet is understood to have chastised the Health Minister for trying to go it alone and told him that stakeholder consultation is critical going forward. Read More UN Bans HHC or ‘Synthetic Cannabis’ for Worldwide Non-Medical Use 27 March 2025 at 07:00:00 South Africa voted along with 49 other nations to ban hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) at the UN Commission on Psychotropic Substances (CND) in Vienna earlier this month. HHC, which is synthetically derived and similar in effect to THC, has been widely available legally in many parts of the US and Europe. Read More Vayej: ‘The President’s Call to Lift ‘The Ban’ Is Pivotal to Moving Towards Industry Transparency’ 26 March 2025 at 20:00:00 Open Farms chairman Shaad Vayej says the President’s move to lift ‘The Ban’ signals a much needed shift towards as transparency and stakeholder engagement in formulating future policy. Read More Silverleaf’s Weisz: President’s Rapid Response Lifting The Ban Bodes Well, Let’s Give Enabling Legislation the Same Urgency 26 March 2025 at 17:00:00 The Director of South Africa’s first dedicated cannabis investment fund, Silverleaf Investments, Darryl Weisz (pictured here), says he didn't expect the President’s decisiveness in lifting the controversial cannabis in foodstuffs ban. He says the same urgency should be applied in following this through with enabling legislation to unlock the domestic cannabis market. Read More Stakeholder Pressure Gets The Ban Lifted, Now The Momentum Shifts to Getting Legislation Sorted 26 March 2025 at 17:00:00 It was overwhelming stakeholder pressure that pushed President Cyril Ramaphosa to act decisively in reversing his Health Minister’s horrific blanket ban on cannabis in foodstuffs. Can this energy be harnessed into getting Government to put a commercial framework on the table? Read More Thanks to the Health Minister SA Now Has One of the Most Restrictive Food Policies in the World 25 March 2025 at 10:45:00 South Africa now has one of the most restrictive food policies in the world following the ban on hemp foodstuffs. Open Farms chairman and attorney, Shaad Vayej (pictured here), says government should be aligning with international best practice in developing the hemp sector, but has instead imposed “a backward-looking restriction that harms businesses, limits consumer access, and contradicts prior regulations.” Read More ‘He Needs to be Charged or Fired!’ CTAA Prepares Interdict, Says Health Minister has been ‘Criminally Negligent’ 25 March 2025 at 07:00:00 The push-back is gaining momentum as more cannabis stakeholders gear up for lawfare against the hemp foodstuff ban. The CTAA is to preparing to file an interdict against the Health Minister, saying his actions could be construed as criminally negligent, and “he needs to be charged or fired.” Read More Minister of Madness: “Absurd” Ban Puts Paid to Govt Funded Project to Develop Hemp-based ‘Superfood’ for School Feeding Schemes 24 March 2025 at 13:30:00 The DoH issued a research permit to Druids Garden to investigate nutrition in hemp. The project got traction and was funded by government entities and developed in collaboration with the CSIR and seven years later there’s an amazing hemp-based porridge perfect for school feeding schemes. What a great story…..except the self-same DoH has now banned it! Read More W Cape Slams 'The Ban' as a ‘Direct Assault on Economic Growth and Job Creation’ 24 March 2025 at 06:30:00 The Western Cape’s plan to develop a cannabis and hemp economy has been derailed by the Health Minister’s ‘ill-considered” blanket ban on cannabis in foodstuffs. Ivan Meyer, the province’s Agriculture MEC, says central government must move swiftly to reverse the ban before further damage is done. Read More The Ban: Here Comes the First Legal Challenge Along With Claims for Millions in Damages 23 March 2025 at 08:30:00 Hemp businessman Hennie Venter is leading the legal charge against the Health Minister with a court application to have the cannabis foodstuff ban overturned. He says he is bringing the action on behalf of all entrepreneurs who have seen their investments “go down in flames” because of the ban. Read More Ministers Run for Cover as Hemp Foodstuff Ban Turns Into a Political Issue and Heads for the Courts 22 March 2025 at 10:00:00 Two weeks after Dr Aaron Motsoaled’s shock ban on cannabis in foodstuff, the Health Minister has yet to make a public statement or explain the intentions behind his actions which have wreaked havoc beyond the hemp industry. Neither has the DTIC nor the Presidency said a word about the major policy blunder that has derailed the Cannabis Master Plan and now become a political issue. Read More PM Keichel Warns Foodstuff Ban is Binding Even Though It is Legally Flawed 22 March 2025 at 07:30:00 As absurd as the hemp foodstuff ban may be, it is legally binding until such time as the Minister rescinds it or it is set aside by a court. That's just how it is, says leading cannabis lawyer Paul Michael Keichel even though legal commentators have slammed the ban as 'unconstitutional', 'illogical' and 'unenforcable'. Read More Cannabis Master Plan Descends into ‘Omnishambles’ as Hemp Foodstuff Ban Reveals Serious Faultlines at Cabinet Level 19 March 2025 at 20:30:00 Seven years after Government unveiled the Cannabis Master Plan, the sad truth has been laid bare: “There is no commercialization policy, there is no economic or industrial strategy, there is no plan”. That’s the view of leading private sector cannabis consultant M Ayanda Bam, who says all the stakeholder engagement with government now seems to have been a waste of time. Read More Make Them Pay! Call for Govt Officials Responsible for the Hemp Foodstuff Ban to be Held Personally Liable for Damages 19 March 2025 at 10:00:00 As damages from the hemp foodstuff ban mount with no sign of the Health Ministry backing down, lawyers are being briefed to put together a court challenge. Industry anger is growing as millions of rand are being lost, and now there’s a call for responsible officials to be sued in their personal capacity. Read More Health Minster Had Already Decided on the Hemp Foodstuff Ban Before SONA, so Why Didn’t He Tell the President? 19 March 2025 at 08:00:00 Over 1 000 businesses and 400 SMME’s have been affected by the Health Minister’s ‘inexplicable’ ban on hemp foodstuffs and are bleeding millions of rand. The shock announcement has derailed the President’s cannabis vision and laid bare the policy rot at the core of the Cannabis Master Plan Read More DTIC: ‘Stop Dealing in Cannabis-Related Foodstuff Until Such Time as the Ban May Be Lifted’ 18 March 2025 at 18:30:00 The DTIC says although the ban on hemp foodstuffs does not fit in with the Cannabis Master Plan, the law is the law, and dealing in all such products “must cease”. It said it would engage with the Department of Health to relook at the ban but offered little solace to stakeholders who stand to lose millions of rand in the meantime. Read More Minister a ‘No Show’ for Hemp Webinar But Senior Health Official Says Stakeholder Concerns ‘Will Be Addressed’ 18 March 2025 at 15:00:00 Senior Health officials have started ‘walking back’ the controversial ban on hemp foodstuffs saying it’s part of a ‘regulatory process’ and that the Minister will ‘address the concerns raised’ by the hemp industry. Read More Namibia: Definition of Dealing Under Scrutiny in the Courts 17 March 2025 at 11:30:00 Namibian law assumes anyone found with over 115 gm of cannabis is guilty of dealing. That definition is being contested in the Windhoek High Court where a Keetmanshoop man convicted of having 241 gm in his possession was convicted as a drug dealer. Read More ‘Suspend the Ban, Let’s Talk Guidelines for Cannabis in Foodstuff’ 17 March 2025 at 06:30:00 Top Government officials are being drawn into the Health Department's ban on cannabis in foodstuffs. Lawyer Charl Botha has written to the President saying the ban is unconstitutional and should be suspended while proper regulatory guidelines are put in place. Read More Hemp Organization Suspicious of Motivation Behind Ban, Threatens Court Action 15 March 2025 at 11:00:00 Hemp activists are mobilizing resources to take on the Minister of Health’s surprise ban on cannabis in all foodstuffs. FOHSA says its prepared to challenge the ban in court as it is unconstitutional and is concerned about what the real reasons behind the restrictions are. Read More Cannabis-Infused Foods on the Rise Worldwide, Highlighting Need for International Guidelines 15 March 2025 at 10:00:00 There are undisputed therapeutic and nutritional benefits associated with cannabis-infused foodstuff and around the world consumer demand is rising for such products. However, there are no international guidelines protecting consumers and a framework needs to be put in place. Read More Health Dept Moves to Calm Industry Nerves: ‘Cannabis Food Ban is Start of Regulatory Process’ 15 March 2025 at 07:00:00 Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale says the recent sudden ban of cannabis in foodstuffs was done in the name of consumer safety. He hinted that the ban would not be permanent but the start of a regulatory process to assess cannabis products before they appear on shelves. Read More Health Minister Agrees to Face the Nation on Cannabis Foodstuff Ban 14 March 2025 at 12:45:00 Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has agreed to appear on a Cheeba emergency stakeholder webinar on the crisis facing the hemp industry following last week’s cannabis foodstuff ban. To date the Minister has not explained his reasons for the surprise ban but he’s expected to do so next Tuesday, 12h00 along with a range of other guests on the Webinar entitled, What the Hemp. REGISTER HERE Read More Food, Beverages and The Cannabis Ban: What the Law Says 14 March 2025 at 11:30:00 The cannabis and health food industry is still reeling from last week’s ban on cannabis in all food and beverages. The ban will be a hard hit for legitimate businesses in this sector, while the ‘grey zone’ will do as it always pleases. Brett Pollack from cannabis consultancy Harambe Solutions offers a legal perspective Read More SA Cannabis Reform Now Seriously Unravelling; Can DTIC’s New Team Fix the Mess Created by Other Departments? 18 March 2025 at 09:30:00 It’s been six months since the DTIC was given responsibility for the National Cannabis Master Plan and since then cannabis reform has fragmented and turned ugly. The Department is putting together a special team to tackle cannabis commercialization, but without effective leadership at the top, it's being tasked with ‘mission impossible’. Read More Business Owners Guide to Dealing with the Edibles Ban 12 March 2025 at 17:00:00 Here's a practical guide as to what the ban on cannabis in all foodstuffs means for the business owner. Read More Health Minister's Cannabis Foods Ban Unleashes a Chorus of Condemnation 12 March 2025 at 13:00:00 Health Minister Aaron Mostoaledi’s decision to ban cannabis in foodstuffs has revealed the deep policy faultlines running through Government and widespread condemnation from industry stakeholders. The ban threatens to derail the National Cannabis Masterplan and undermines the President’s commitment to developing the hemp industry. Read More Appeal to President: 'Retract the Ban on Cannabis in Foodstuff, It Could Kill the Hemp Industry 12 March 2025 at 09:45:00 Hemp seeds have been regularly available on South African shelves for four decades and are now outlawed under the Health Minister's surprise ban on cannabis in foodstuff. The ban is bad news for the hemp industry generally and Cheeba Cannabis Academy has written an open letter to President Ramaphosa urging him to immediately rescind the ban before further harm is done. Read More Applications Open: DTIC Seeks Project Manager for Cannabis Master Plan 12 March 2025 at 07:00:00 The DTIC has restructured and seeking a project manager for the National Cannabis Master Plan: You're Interested? Apply Here Read More Shock Announcement! Health Minister Suddenly Bans Cannabis in All Foods and Beverages! 11 March 2025 at 08:45:00 In an astounding regulatory development, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, has issued a notice banning the use of cannabis in foodstuffs. The announcement in the Government Gazette of 7 March 2025, has left cannabis stakeholders stunned, as this flies in the face of the Presidency’s cannabis vision and undermines the National Cannabis Master Plan. Read More SAPS Reveals ‘Da Culture’ is an Ongoing Undercover Operation Against Illegal Cannabis Outlets in KZN 10 March 2025 at 08:15:00 Seven people have been arrested as a result of a four year SAPS undercover operation targeting illicit cannabis dealing networks in Kwa Zulu Natal. Police say the operation, in which plainclothes police officers target ‘grey zone’ outlets pretending to be customers, is ongoing. Read More Hawks Hail Prosecution of Pensioner Producing Cannabis Therapeutic Products as a ‘Significant Win’ in the Fight Against Drugs 9 March 2025 at 09:30:00 Random prosecutions continue against ‘grey zone’ operators with the Hawks hailing the conviction of an elderly Somerset West woman for dealing in R50 000 worth of cannabis-related products as a ‘significant win’ in efforts to curb the ‘illegal drug trade’. Read More JuicyFields Saga: Headspinning 'Scams Within Scams' and Now a Shadowy Link to the Russian 'Deep State' 7 March 2025 at 08:00:00 The first Juicyfields cases are likely to come before European courts this year as two new twists emerge in the scam that cost thousands of investors an estimated US$678 million. Journalists have found links to Russian ‘deep state’ involvement, and the lawyer bringing the investor class action against Juicyfields is suspected of being a scammer himself! Read More ECRDA's Perspective on the Mpondoland Hemp Seed Recall Row 5 March 2025 at 14:00:00 Response to the Cannabiz Africa News Article Entitled : “Medigrow Recalls Hemp Seed Distributed in Mpondoland, Says ECRDA to Blame for ‘Misunderstanding with Legacy Growers’ Read More ECRDA Says its Championing Local Landraces as it gets Caught in the Mpondoland Hemp War Crossfire 5 March 2025 at 13:30:00 The ECRDA says it’s committed to supporting legacy cannabis farmers and is in the process of registering local landrace seeds for commercial use. But it points out that its mandate is also to help hemp permit holders grow imported genetics and that it has to manage these competing dynamics. Read More NPA To Issue Cannabis Arrest Guidelines ‘Soon’, But No Sign Yet of Cannabis Act Regulations 3 March 2025 at 09:00:00 A senior policeman has confirmed that the National Prosecuting Authority is to issue new guidelines regarding cannabis arrests ‘soon’. However, these guidelines depend on what regulations govern the Cannabis Act, a task the Justice Department has been sitting on for nine months. Read More Prince Says No Progress as Police Play Hardball at Rasta Round Table, Insist on Upholding Their Rights to ‘Search and Arrest’ 1 March 2025 at 10:00:00 The SAHRC-convened Rasta Round Table in Gauteng this week made little progress in its campaign to halt cannabis arrests. The cops agreed to ‘sensitivity training’ for SAPS members, but would not back down on their rights to ‘search and seizure’. Rasta leader Ras Gareth Prince (pictured here) said afterwards, it was clear that Government was not serious about negotiating in good faith. Read More Medigrow: 'We Are Fulfilling Our Obligations to Govt Not Forcing Hemp on Mpondoland' 26 February 2025 at 18:00:00 This is the full statement from Medigrow clarifying its relationships with Eastern Cape provincial government departments and Mpondoland cannabis farmers over the hemp issue Read More Medigrow Recalls Hemp Seed Distributed in Mpondoland, Saying ECRDA Should Carry the Can for ‘Misunderstanding’ 26 February 2025 at 15:00:00 Medigrow CEO Edgar Adams (pictured here) has moved swiftly to calm rising tensions over hemp in Mpondoland. The company has withdrawn the hemp seeds distributed to a select group of farmers and has met with the Mpondoland Cannabis Belt Association farmers to allay fears that their landraces were under threat. Read More Silence of the SOPAs: Not a Word from E Cape and Gauteng Premiers on Any 2025 Plan for Industrial Cannabis to Create Jobs 26 February 2025 at 11:15:00 The Eastern Cape Premier never misses an opportunity to promote cannabis development so why the mysterious silence on the subject during his SOPA? And Gauteng? Not even a SOPA whisper on how the country’s economic powerhouse intends to use industrial cannabis to uplift the poor and create jobs. Read More Rastas and the Law Square Off at the Round Table to Halt Cannabis Arrests 26 February 2025 at 20:00:00 The South African Human Rights Commission convened the Rasta Round Table at the Birchwood Hotel on the East Rand on 26 February 2025. This was the first high profile meeting between Rastafarian representatives from all nine provinces and senior security cluster officials with the SAHRC's main aim being to halt cannabis arrests Read More FGFA’s Myrtle Clarke; 100 Years Of Prohibition Kept Alive by Government Ignorance 18 February 2025 at 12:00:00 Wednesday, 19 February 2025 marks 100 years of cannabis prohibition. In 1925, the Geneva Opium Convention declared 'Indian Hemp' as a banned substance. Although there are sweeping gains across the world, the prohibitionist mindset is far from over. Activist Myrtle Clarke, co-founder of FGFA says that unfortunately, when it comes to cannabis legalization, prohibitionist thinking remains alive and well in South Africa. Read More First High Profile Cases Emerge from KwaZulu Natal ‘Grey Zone’ Clampdown as Private Club Owners Face Charges for 'Dealing in THC' 14 February 2025 at 04:30:00 The owner of Durban private cannabis club Rooftop 420 has been arrested with three other club managers and all have been charged with illegally selling and distributing THC products four years ago. Read More Stirrings of Rural Resistance as Angry Legacy Growers Mobilize to Push Back Against Medigrow: “No Hemp in Mpondoland” 12 February 2025 at 18:00:00 The Lusikisiki Agreement between legacy growers and government agencies has fallen apart before the proverbial ink has dried. Mpondoland farmers have accused Government of breaking its word that no hemp would be introduced into the area without consultation and intends mobilizing local communities to resist Medigrow’s plans to distribute hemp seeds in the area. Read More Qure’s Brenda Marx: “Market Will Be Boosted By Govt Recognition of the Importance of Cannabis Testing 12 February 2025 at 15:00:00 The quiet announcement by the DTICC that product testing will be compulsory in funding applications is hugely significant says Qure's Brenda Marx. She says this requirement signals the start of a standardization process across the industry and will encourage laboratories to work more closely together. Read More DTIC Appoints Four Labs for Testing Cannabis Products as it Issues New Funding Guidelines 12 February 2025 at 11:00:00 The DTIC has issued new guidelines for entities seeking funding and has appointed Afriplex, NAFS, Qure and Vinlab as its official cannabis testing labs. The Department says funding applications for product development has to be accompanied by product test results from one of these four service providers. Read More Cannabis King Khoisan’s Protest Palace at the Union Buildings Demolished 12 February 2025 at 08:00:00 The Department of Public Works tore down the ramshackle residence of self-styled King Khoisan SA, this week. This effectively ends the King’s seven year protest occupation at Pretoria’s Union Buildings, where he became a tourist attraction, championing cannabis and indigenous rights. Read More SONA 2025: A World Within One Word Gives Private Sector Cannabis Stakeholders Some Hope 10 February 2025 at 15:00:00 Private sector cannabis stakeholders have taken an upbeat view of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s brief reference to cannabis and hemp in last week’s SONA. The fact that the word ‘commercial’ passed the President’s lips, has elicited an initial positive response from a fragmented industry awaiting guidelines on the way forward. Read More Presidency’s Control of Cannabis Reform Threatened by the Growing ‘Crisis of Illegality’ 5 February 2025 at 10:00:00 Since the landmark 2018 Concourt ruling, South African cannabis sector has been shaped by court decisions rather than driven by Government policy-makers. This has resulted in conflicting spheres of influence behind the scenes, the consequence of which is today’s seriously dysfunctional cannabis industry. Read More Cannabiz Africa MarketPlace Cannabiz Africa MarketPlace is your source of business news focussing on the African cannabis market. Stay up to date with new projects, investments, company news and market developments in this rapidly-growing sector. Explore More Legal services are in high demand, in the rapidly evolving African cannabis market. Expose your brand, and market your services to this target market. For advertising, details call Nicolaas on +27716869332 What Sets Us Apart ? Cannabiz Africa is the leading B2B news platform for the continent's cannabis industry, connecting you directly with key stakeholders. With over 4,000 unique monthly users and a growing audience of 1,500 engaged Newsline subscribers, we provide unmatched visibility for your brand. Advertise with us today to reach the heart of the industry! Click here, to advertise your brand, product and or service COMING IN FRESH TOP LEGAL STORIES ‘Crisis of Illegality’ Getting Worse: Grey Zone Sees More Cops on the Take and Consumers Increasingly Vulnerable Read More Government’s lack of regulations for South Africa’s cannabis sector is perpetuating a ‘crisis of illegality’ that is spinning out of control. The unregulated explosion of the retail ‘grey zone’ has led to mass corruption in the police, employee abuse and lack of consumer protection and a critical intervention is urgently required.

Cannabiz-Africa is your hub for all cannabis news and resources. Everything from breaking news, cannabis politics, business investments, legal policies and a marketplace network where we connect you with local businesses. Be in the know with the hottest, freshest and most up-to date hemp movements. BREAKING South African News Cannabiz Africa brings you the hottest breaking South African cannabis news right here! From crucial developments in laws and reform to socio-economic changes in the industry. Find your latest dose of breaking news right here and stay onto of the earliest developments! The CannaClub : South Africa’s Oldest Private Cannabis Club 10 Years On and Still Going Strong! Read More The CannaClub (TCC) is South Africa’s oldest private cannabis club and had its roots in an informal cannabis ‘stokvel’ in the Western Cape’s Garden Route founded by Herman and Heidi van der Watt way back in 2015. Since then they’ve turned that vision into a leading ‘best business practice' not-for-profit organization with over 4 000 members and firm ties with local legacy cannabis communities and officialdom. ‘Crisis of Illegality’ Getting Worse: Grey Zone Sees More Cops on the Take and Consumers Increasingly Vulnerable Read More Government’s lack of regulations for South Africa’s cannabis sector is perpetuating a ‘crisis of illegality’ that is spinning out of control. The unregulated explosion of the retail ‘grey zone’ has led to mass corruption in the police, employee abuse and lack of consumer protection and a critical intervention is urgently required. Okhahlamba Hopes Planned ‘Shared Cannabis Processing Facility’ Will Create Jobs as KZN Now Has Highest Unemployment Rate in SA 16 May 2025 at 08:00:00 Okhahlamba (Bergville) Municipality in the Kwazulu Natal Drakensberg his pinning its hopes to bring down crippling unemployment in the area with the development of a cannabis processing facility. The pilot project is being funded by the province but the Municipality hopes to raise an additional R10 million to bring it to fruition. Read More Synergy to Give Away a Million Rands Worth of Medibles at the Cannabis Expo! 14 May 2025 at 19:15:00 Synergy Wellness will be celebrating its fifth birthday at the Cannabis Expo and spreading the joy with a mass hand out of its new 'medibles' range. Sponsorship of the Expo is a milestone for the group which is now one of the largest medical cannabis distribution networks in the world, with a network of over 250 outlets and a healthy flow of product to market. Read More Cheeba Cannabis & Hemp Summit at the Expo: Major Networking Event Comes at Key Moment in Cannabis Reform 14 May 2025 at 19:15:00 South Africa’s premier cannabis industry networking event will be held alongside the Cannabis Expo taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre on 30 and 31 May 2025. The Cheeba Cannabis and Hemp Industry Summit will bring together cannabis and hemp sector leaders with senior advisor Garth Strachan (pictured above) delivering the keynote address. Read More The CannaClub : South Africa’s Oldest Private Cannabis Club 10 Years On and Still Going Strong! 14 May 2025 at 17:30:00 The CannaClub (TCC) is South Africa’s oldest private cannabis club and had its roots in an informal cannabis ‘stokvel’ in the Western Cape’s Garden Route founded by Herman and Heidi van der Watt way back in 2015. Since then they’ve turned that vision into a leading ‘best business practice' not-for-profit organization with over 4 000 members and firm ties with local legacy cannabis communities and officialdom. Read More Postcard from Berlin: SA Viewed as a ‘Sleeping Giant’ on the Cusp of Something Significant says Nexus' Johann Slabber 14 May 2025 at 13:00:00 Nexus Pharma’s Johann Slabber (pictured here) was at the International Cannabis Conference in Berlin at the end of April and sent us his key take-outs on Europe’s biggest annual cannabis indaba. In the old days, he says, compliance with international standards was a differentiator for South African exporters. Nowdays, it’s a prerequisite if the country is to realise its potential as a world player. Read More ‘Crisis of Illegality’ Getting Worse: Grey Zone Sees More Cops on the Take and Consumers Increasingly Vulnerable 11 May 2025 at 10:30:00 Government’s lack of regulations for South Africa’s cannabis sector is perpetuating a ‘crisis of illegality’ that is spinning out of control. The unregulated explosion of the retail ‘grey zone’ has led to mass corruption in the police, employee abuse and lack of consumer protection and a critical intervention is urgently required. Read More One Year On: Why is the Cannabis Act Still Gathering Dust in the Legislative Parking Bay? 11 May 2025 at 09:30:00 Two stakeholder organizations have asked the Justice Department why it's taking so long to publish the draft regulations that would allow the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act 2024 to finally come into law. Read More Health Minister Says Public Consultations on Regulations for Cannabis and Foodstuffs 'Coming Soon’ 11 May 2025 at 09:00:00 The Health Ministry’s draft regulations around cannabis and foodstuffs will be put out for public comment ‘soon’. That’s according to Minister Aaron Motsoaledi who has yet to explain to stakeholders why he chose a to ban substances that were already illegal and in the process wreaked havoc on the hemp industry. Read More Unapologetic Health Minister Won’t Acknowledge Damage Done by Cannabis Foodstuff Ban, Which He Says Was “To Protect Children” 11 May 2025 at 07:30:00 Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi (pictured here) says he didn’t seek public comment on his shock cannabis in foodstuffs ban because legally he didn’t have to. Answering a question in the National Assembly, the Minister said the ban was issued as a prohibition notice which meant he could take an executive decision without consultation, and he did so to protect youngsters from harm. Read More CASP Cannabis Funding: Forget About Applying if You’re White and Afrikaans But it's OK if You're Chinese 10 May 2025 at 18:45:00 If you’re Chinese and holding South African citizenship you may qualify for cannabis funding under the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme, but forget about it if you’re white and Afrikaans. That’s according to the eligibility criteria for grants from the controversial state funding entity. Read More Govt-Funded Silver Tree Cannabis Project: No Training, No SAHPRA License and BTW the Director Used to Work for the Land Bank 10 May 2025 at 13:30:00 Silver Tree cannabis farm's director is a former Land Bank manager specialising in BEE transactions who conceptualized his cannabis ‘vision’ during his last year at the Bank in 2019. Simphiwe Yako is the man behind Silver Tree which is accused of misappropriating R20 million in government funding for cannabis training. Read More Essential Reading: Current Cannabis Regulations in South Africa 2025 9 May 2025 at 09:45:00 The global CBD industry continues to grow rapidly, and South Africa has positioned itself as one of the most progressive CBD markets in Africa. While CBD products are legally available to consumers, there is still a degree of uncertainty around the regulations—especially concerning dosage limits, THC content, and product categories. Read More CASP: The Rot at the Core of Government’s Plans to Fund Cannabis Training 7 May 2025 at 16:45:00 It beggars belief that the state entity involved in funding the fraudulent Gupta-linked Free State dairy scheme, is now disbursing cannabis funding on behalf of the Agriculture Department. But, yup, it’s true, and there should be no surprise that the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme is behind the missing R20 million earmarked for West Rand cannabis training Read More The Tier-Drop Solution: Here’s How to Rein In the Cannabis Cowboys and Regulate the ‘Grey Zone’ 5 May 2025 at 09:30:00 South Arica is in urgent need of a cannabis retail licensing system as the so-called ‘grey zone’ expands beyond regulatory reach. Charl Botha of H3 Legal Solutions has put forward a cannabis retail model that could address the absurdity of a system that criminalizes legitimate entrepreneurs and mainstreams drug dealers - and all the while emasculating officialdom. Read More Cheeba’s Trenton Birch: R20 million Govt Cannabis Training Shambles is ‘Sadly, Typical’ 4 May 2025 at 16:45:00 The founder and CEO of South Africa’s leading cannabis skills and training academy says he’s not surprised that Gauteng Government has mismanaged a West Rand training scheme in which R20 million appears to have been misappropriated. Cheeba Africa’s Trenton Birch says this is a “sadly, typical government project”. Read More Agriculture Dept Says It’s Ready to Roll-Out its New Hemp Support Programme Across the Country 4 May 2025 at 08:45:00 The Agriculture Department says it’s to embark on a nationwide ‘multiplication drive’ for the two local hemp varietals it has registered, and will provide permit holders with training and support with the assistance of the Agricultural Research Council. Read More Govt Quietly Overhauls Hemp Regulations in a Major Way, Confirms THC Limit Will Be Raised to 2% 3 May 2025 at 17:00:00 Government has quietly overhauled its hemp farming regulations, confirming the lift in THC limits to 2%, dropping fencing requirements and size restrictions and getting the police out of the picture. This has emerged from a written response by Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen to a question in Parliament on the National Cannabis Master Plan. Read More DA Accuses Gauteng Govt of Blowing R20 Million on West Rand Cannabis Project ‘That Has Nothing To Show For It’ 2 May 2025 at 11:30:00 The Democratic Alliance is taking on Gauteng’s Agriculture Department for wasting money on an ill-advised cannabis project at Tarlton near Mogale City. The Silver Tree project received R20 million funding to train cannabis farmers, but the money appears to have vanished without being spent on its intended purpose. Read More Synergy Medibles' Robin Grobelaar: Making Plant Alchemy Work Within the Rules 30 April 2025 at 16:15:00 Robin Grobelaar (pictured here) is the man behind Synergy Medibles, the innovative business concept that has navigated the hazards of the current regulatory regime to produce SAH|PRA compliant ‘medibles. He explains to Cannabiz Africa publisher Brett Hilton-Barber how these edibles are not foodstuffs at all, but are complementary medicines in line with the regulator’s consumer safety guidelines. Read More Edibles Game Changer: Synergy to Launch ‘Medibles' Concept at Expo 30 April 2025 at 15:45:00 South Africa’s largest medical cannabis service provider, Synergy Wellness, has taken advantage of the whole furore over cannabis edibles to launch a new product concept – ‘medibles’. In a classic case of guerrilla marketing, Synergy has used the publicity around the recently rescinded cannabis in foodstuffs ban to bring to market a completely compliant over-the-counter cannabis edibles range with health benefits. Read More Cannabis Expo: Health and Wellness is Trending, Is it Replacing the Novelty of ‘Rec’? 30 April 2025 at 13:00:00 With Gauteng’s Cannabis Expo just a month away, it’s clear that there is a growing consumer interest in the health and wellness benefits of cannabis and that the novelty of unfettered access to recreational THC products is not what it used to be. Nonetheless there will be plenty of both at the Sandton Convention Centre from 30 May to 1 June 2025 Read More Freedom Day Not: Police Harassment Worse Since Rasta Round Table in February 28 April 2025 at 07:00:00 The Human Rights Commission tried to broker a halt to cannabis arrests during its Rasta Round Table meeting between communities and SAPS in February this year. SAPS played hardball then, and still are – the harassment of Rastafarians around the country is getting worse. Read More If Govt Taxed the ‘Grey Zone’, There’d Be No VAT Increase Debate 28 April 2025 at 06:30:00 A cannabis 'sin tax' could conceivably remove or reduce the perceived need to raise VAT by 0.5 percentage points. That’s the view of the Daily Maverick’s Ed Stoddard, who says that cannabis remains the missing link in Treasury’s arsenal of taxes. Read More Standard Bank Interested in Financing the ‘Organic Products’ Sector, Cannabis Just Happens to be Part of That! 27 April 2025 at 10:00:00 Mainstream banks are beginning to nibble at the prospect of financing cannabis businesses as calls mount for the Government to remove the obstacles to funding this sector. Standard Bank is seeking more to business in the ‘organic’ market as a way of tip-toeing into the cannabis space. Read More 420 Day Used to Raise Anti-Drug Awareness at Schools and Churches 23 April 2025 at 16:00:00 An anti-drug agency has used 420 Day to push back against the “rising normalization of cannabis use among teens. World Changers Candidate (WCC) says South Africa is facing a ‘generational emergency’ in drug use in young people and has teamed up with Elspark Hoerskool to push back against cannabis use by kids. Read More Cannabis Policy Paralysis is Scaring Off Investors and Eroding Consumer Trust 23 April 2025 at 13:30:00 The government’s inability to craft a meaningful framework for the development of a domestic cannabis industry is keeping investors away and eroding consumer trust. That’s the view of the former CE of the Tobacco Institute of SA, who says authorities urgently need to develop an integrated strategy for the industry to keep cannabis reform afloat. Read More E Cape Looks to ‘Blended’ Finance Model to ‘Derisk’ Legacy Cannabis Growers 23 April 2025 at 10:15:00 The Eastern Cape’s business model for supporting legacy growers is taking shape under the Agri-Blended Finance Scheme, which it has introduced as a general agricultural support mechanism in Mpondoland and other rural areas. Cannabis growers were among the 30 beneficiaries who received over R50 million from the first phase of a pilot project. Read More Five Red Flags That Should Alert Cannabis Investors to Scams 22 April 2025 at 13:00:00 Despite the lack of guiding regulations, the South African cannabis retail sector is booming – and attracting millions of rands of investment. Investors have climbed into the ‘grey zone’, despite the sale of cannabis being illegal – and many have been taken for a ride. If you’re looking to invest in any cannabis business, these are the five red flags you should look out for. Read More Tangled Webb of Woe: Detectives After Gauteng Cannabis Scam Artist for Skimming Investors 22 April 2025 at 11:30:00 A disgruntled investor has hired a private security company to try and track down 34 year old Christopher Webb, the man alleged to have scammed hundreds of thousands of rands off many people in a fake cannabis scheme involving South African farmers. Read More Half-Baked: Prospective Private Club Partnership Falls Apart in Crypto Fundraising Muddle 22 April 2025 at 10:15:00 Iconic Cape Town private cannabis club Baked has to repay a prospective partner R5,7 million after disagreement over a promised crypto-currency fund-raising deal that never materialized. Baked’s appeal against having to repay the funds has been dismissed by the Western Cape High Court. Read More Medigrow Investors Pause Funding for Eastern Cape Cannabis Project Because of Hemp Foodstuff Ban 16 April 2025 at 10:30:00 Medigrow’s international investors have pressed the pause button on further investment in the company’s R1 billion Eastern Cape cannabis project because of the lack of clarity over South Africa’s hemp policy. The company has been caught up in the aftermath of the now-rescinded hemp foodstuff ban and has halted operations while ‘sensitive negotiations’ are underway to seek resolution. Read More Major International Cannabis Conference Coming to SA: Overcoming Barriers and Developing Standards 16 April 2025 at 10:30:00 A major international conference on ‘Barriers to Entry’ in the cannabis industry is to take place in South Africa next month. The ASTM conference will also look at refining international standards on cannabis food and beverages. Deadline for registration is next week. Read More CSIR tells President: All our Cannabis Foodstuff Products Have Always Been Legal 14 April 2025 at 09:45:00 The CSIR says it has incubated scores of small businesses to process and trade in cannabis-related foodstuffs and all have been within the guidelines laid down by SAHPRA and the Department of Agriculture. This emerged during the President’s tour of the CSIR’s cannabis research unit last week - which had its lighter moments! Read More Synergy’s Hodes: There’s No Regulatory Uncertainty Around Medical Cannabis and the Market is Growing 9 April 2025 at 20:00:00 Fast-growing Synergy Wellness is the headline sponsor for this year’s Cannabis Expo and will be using the event as a major drive to make people aware of the medical benefits of cannabis. Synergy director Jon Hodes (pictured here) believes health and wellness will be one of the most sustainable sectors of the new cannabis market and has structured the company’s business plan around this. Read More Main Networking Event of the Year: Cheeba Africa’s Industry Summit at Cannabis Expo 9 April 2025 at 18:30:00 Cheeba Africa has announced it will hold a two day ‘Cannabis and Hemp Summit’ at the Cannabis Expo to bring stakeholders together to network, upskill and develop their business concepts. It will also provide a forum for the industry to discuss how best to deal with Government in the imminent ‘stakeholder discussons’ on cannabis policy. Read More Cannabis Expo’s Howarth: ‘We’re Building the Highway Even if the Road Signs Aren’t Up Yet’ 9 April 2025 at 13:30:00 This year’s Cannabis Expo comes at a crucial time for the cannabis industry as the ‘grey zone’ consumer market explodes and Government says its ‘really willing’ to engage stakeholders on policy. It’s also been a tough time for players wanting to be legitimate, but that could all be changing. Expo CEO Silas Howarth (pictured here) shares his thoughts on putting together Africa’s biggest cannabis event and where the market is at. Read More Cannabis Expo Signs Up Synergy as Headline Sponsor, Gets Ready to Rock Sandton at the End of May 9 April 2025 at 13:15:00 Africa’s grandest cannabis show comes to town next month in the form of the Cannabis Expo. The three day celebration of cannabis culture and essential business networking will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre from 30 May to 1 June 2025. Thousands of people are expected to attend the Expo which will also see a ‘summit’ of industry stakeholders take place to discuss how to push cannabis reform forward. Read More Medical Research Council: Standardize THC Dosage Limits and Labelling Guidelines 8 April 2025 at 13:30:00 The SAMRC has called for standardized dosage regulations for THC edible products and appropriate labelling guidelines. It says legalization of cannabis carries risks for youngsters and with edibles consumption on the rise, authorities need to be increasingly conscious of consumer safety. Read More Khopotse: Now Ban is Behind Us, Let’s Use Hemp Foods to Tackle Malnutrition 8 April 2025 at 09:45:00 The chairman of the recently formed cannabis and hemp lobby group, SACHIDA says now is the time to develop hemp-based superfoods to tackle malnutrition. Katelga Khopotse says Government’s new attitude opens up the industrial cannabis value and that hemp can help feed the people. Read More Druids Taps Into Ancient Wisdom: Launches Biotika, Plant Medicine Booster Range 7 April 2025 at 14:15:00 Druids Garden, the SAHPRA-licensed Gauteng facility has been at the forefront of much of the innovation in South Africa’s cannabis industry. The latest fruit from its garden is Biotika, a range of plant-based energy boosters and health supplements that it bought to market last month. Cannabis Africa publisher Brett Hilton-Barber got the lowdown on the worldwide return to ancient medicines with Druids’ CEO Cian McLelland, who also shared his thoughts on the sorry state of SA cannabis reform. Read More 'If SA Gets Cannabis Framework Right, It Could Be a Blueprint for BRICS+' 7 April 2025 at 09:00:00 An unlikely newcomer to the cannabis industry commentariat has just weighed in with the unlikely notion that if South Africa gets its policy framework right, it could serve as a blueprint for the BRICS+ group of nations. Independent media owner Dr Iqbal Surve, says cannabis could be a way of fostering new trade relationships outside traditional cannabis markets. Read More Stakeholder Pressure: Foodstuff Ban Sorted, Now Scrap the Drugs Act! 7 April 2025 at 07:00:00 Cannabis reform cannot proceed while cannabis is still defined as an illicit substance. That’s the view of activist lawyer, Charl Botha, who has written to President Ramaphosa, saying that his proposed stakeholder engagement will be hollow as long as the Drugs Act is in force. Read More Stellenbosch Researchers Squeeze Value Out of Waste in New Cannabis Extraction Breakthrough 5 April 2025 at 13:30:00 Stellenbosch University chemical engineers have developed a unique wax-based method of extraction that recovers valuable compounds that would otherwise be wasted. They say their methodology could make African cannabis exporters far more competitive on the global stage. Read More Enua Riding Green Wave in Germany, Seeks SA Flower as Demand Surges 4 April 2025 at 10:00:00 Leading German cannabis company Enua is seeking South African cultivators to feed growing demand for medical cannabis in Europe. Enua’s managing partner , Albert Schwarzmeier was in the Cape recently cementing a supplier relationship with local partner Nexus. He’s told MJBiz how the German market has exceeded expectations. Read More Eight SAHPRA Cannabis Cultivators Lose Their Licenses 4 April 2025 at 08:45:00 Eight cannabis farming companies have lost their Section 22 cultivation licenses. This has been confirmed by SAHPRA, which says two were due to permanent facility closures, three were revoked and four were cancelled. Read More Stakeholder Input Meaningless Until Govt Sorts Out the ‘Three Ministry Muddle’ 2 April 2025 at 15:30:00 President Ramphosa’s bold move to shift stakeholder engagement to the centre of the cannabis policy debate has assuaged an industry injured by the flip-flop of the cannabis foodstuff. But unless Government sorts out its ‘three ministry muddle’ ahead of industry consultation, any good advice it receives will remain out in the vortex Read More Last Mover Advantage: Botswana Better Placed Than SA to Become Regional Hemp Powerhouse 2 April 2025 at 14:30:00 Botswana looks set to bypass the regulatory nightmare that has beset South Africa's industrial cannabis industry by putting in a set of rules for the game before it opens up the market. Neighbouring South Africa, by comparison, has found itself in a quandary where permits are being issued with no clear market guidelines yet in place. Read More Is Labat Starting to Exit the Cannabis Space? 31 March 2025 at 10:00:00 Labat Africa is moving rapidly into the IT space with a distribution deal with Ubits Technology, while it reviews the risks associated with its cannabis operations. The JSE listed group was one of the first movers in the South African cannabis space but now it appears to be on an exit strategy from the sector. Read More Govt Must Learn its Cannabis Lesson When it Comes to Regulating Tobacco Products 31 March 2025 at 11:30:00 Government has committed itself to stakeholder engagement over future cannabis policy but this approach should not apply to this sector alone. The new Tobacco bill is due to reach Parliament soon, but in its current form it’s unlikely to pass constitutional muster. In order to avoid the same fate as the Cannabis Act, which is stuck in a legislative vacuum, Sifiso Skenjana, (pictured here) says authorities should listen to industry objections before trying to pass new laws affecting them. Read More Presribed Maximums Likely to Be Most Contentious Point in Cannabis Act Regulations 30 March 2025 at 16:30:00 The Justice Department is to circulate its proposed regulations for the Cannabis Act for stakeholder comment before they are gazetted. The most contentious regulations are likely to be the number of plants one may privately cultivated says leading cannabis lawyer Paul-Michael Keichel (pictured here) Read More SANDF: Cross Border Cannabis Trafficking Almost a ‘Daily Occurrence’ 30 March 2025 at 10:30:00 The SANDF has been deployed for the last six months along the South Africa’s northern and eastern borders to combat transnational smuggling. Defence Web reports that this month’s seizure of R1,5 m worth of cannabis on the border between KwaZulu Natal and eSwatini highlights how porous the country’s frontiers are to drug smugglers. Read More Minister’s Unbanning of Illegal Edibles Creates Wrong Impression That They’re Now Legal 30 March 2025 at 09:45:00 Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi’s clumsy attempt to protect consumers by banning cannabis-related foodstuffs continues to create market confusion even though the ban has been rescinded. There is a widespread perception among cannabis consumers that with the lifting of the ban, edibles are legal. They’re not, warns FGFA’s Myrtle Clarke (pictured here). Read More Health Minister ‘Not Disappointed’ That His Ban Was Lifted, Says President Understands His Safety Concerns 29 March 2025 at 10:00:00 The Health Minister was one of thousands of stakeholders who was ‘not disappointed’ by the lifting of his ban on cannabis-related foodstuffs. Dr Motsoaledi made this bizarre remark in an interview with News24, in which he emphasized that there was still an urgent need for regulation of such products in order to protect consumers. Read More Big Shape-Shift Underway: Justice Dept Now to Get Public Input Before Deciding on Regulations Governing Cannabis Act 28 March 2025 at 09:00:00 The public will be able to have its say on the long-awaited regulations governing the Cannabis Act before they are formalized by the Justice Department. This major shift in government’s approach to the private sector was almost thrown in an as an after-thought in Wednesday’s post-cabinet briefing, but, people, this is a bigger deal than it seems. Read More Cabinet Privately Reprimands Health Minister, Nips Department’s 'Grand Plan’ in the Bud 28 March 2025 at 07:45:00 It’s not clear exactly what the Health Department’s unilateral ‘grand plan’ for cannabis and foodstuffs was, but it has come crashing down before it got out the starting blocks. Cabinet is understood to have chastised the Health Minister for trying to go it alone and told him that stakeholder consultation is critical going forward. Read More Vayej: ‘The President’s Call to Lift ‘The Ban’ Is Pivotal to Moving Towards Industry Transparency’ 26 March 2025 at 20:00:00 Open Farms chairman Shaad Vayej says the President’s move to lift ‘The Ban’ signals a much needed shift towards as transparency and stakeholder engagement in formulating future policy. Read More Silverleaf’s Weisz: President’s Rapid Response Lifting The Ban Bodes Well, Let’s Give Enabling Legislation the Same Urgency 26 March 2025 at 17:00:00 The Director of South Africa’s first dedicated cannabis investment fund, Silverleaf Investments, Darryl Weisz (pictured here), says he didn't expect the President’s decisiveness in lifting the controversial cannabis in foodstuffs ban. He says the same urgency should be applied in following this through with enabling legislation to unlock the domestic cannabis market. Read More Stakeholder Pressure Gets The Ban Lifted, Now The Momentum Shifts to Getting Legislation Sorted 26 March 2025 at 17:00:00 It was overwhelming stakeholder pressure that pushed President Cyril Ramaphosa to act decisively in reversing his Health Minister’s horrific blanket ban on cannabis in foodstuffs. Can this energy be harnessed into getting Government to put a commercial framework on the table? Read More President Ramaphosa Orders Cannabis Foodstuff Ban to Be Lifted Immediately 25 March 2025 at 18:00:00 President Cyril Ramaphosa has instructed Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to withdraw the controversial ban on cannabis in foodstuffs with immediate effect. He’s also ordered the Minister to begin consultations with stakeholders before issuing any further notice on the matter. This is a statement from the Presidency. Read More Thanks to the Health Minister SA Now Has One of the Most Restrictive Food Policies in the World 25 March 2025 at 10:45:00 South Africa now has one of the most restrictive food policies in the world following the ban on hemp foodstuffs. Open Farms chairman and attorney, Shaad Vayej (pictured here), says government should be aligning with international best practice in developing the hemp sector, but has instead imposed “a backward-looking restriction that harms businesses, limits consumer access, and contradicts prior regulations.” Read More ‘He Needs to be Charged or Fired!’ CTAA Prepares Interdict, Says Health Minister has been ‘Criminally Negligent’ 25 March 2025 at 07:00:00 The push-back is gaining momentum as more cannabis stakeholders gear up for lawfare against the hemp foodstuff ban. The CTAA is to preparing to file an interdict against the Health Minister, saying his actions could be construed as criminally negligent, and “he needs to be charged or fired.” Read More W Cape Slams 'The Ban' as a ‘Direct Assault on Economic Growth and Job Creation’ 24 March 2025 at 06:30:00 The Western Cape’s plan to develop a cannabis and hemp economy has been derailed by the Health Minister’s ‘ill-considered” blanket ban on cannabis in foodstuffs. Ivan Meyer, the province’s Agriculture MEC, says central government must move swiftly to reverse the ban before further damage is done. Read More The Ban: Here Comes the First Legal Challenge Along With Claims for Millions in Damages 23 March 2025 at 08:30:00 Hemp businessman Hennie Venter is leading the legal charge against the Health Minister with a court application to have the cannabis foodstuff ban overturned. He says he is bringing the action on behalf of all entrepreneurs who have seen their investments “go down in flames” because of the ban. Read More Zimbabwe’s 'Dr Zoey': The Region Should Harmonize Regulations And Market Itself as a Solid Bloc on World Markets 22 March 2025 at 13:15:00 Imagine a ‘Cannabis SADEC’ in which the member countries harmonized their regulatory criteria and worked as a solid bloc to market southern African medical and industrial cannabis to the world. That’s the vision of Zimbabwe’s leading cannabis change-maker, Dr Zorodzai Maroveke who says that would make a real difference Africa’s prospects of becoming a real player in the global game. Read More Ministers Run for Cover as Hemp Foodstuff Ban Turns Into a Political Issue and Heads for the Courts 22 March 2025 at 10:00:00 Two weeks after Dr Aaron Motsoaled’s shock ban on cannabis in foodstuff, the Health Minister has yet to make a public statement or explain the intentions behind his actions which have wreaked havoc beyond the hemp industry. Neither has the DTIC nor the Presidency said a word about the major policy blunder that has derailed the Cannabis Master Plan and now become a political issue. Read More PM Keichel Warns Foodstuff Ban is Binding Even Though It is Legally Flawed 22 March 2025 at 07:30:00 As absurd as the hemp foodstuff ban may be, it is legally binding until such time as the Minister rescinds it or it is set aside by a court. That's just how it is, says leading cannabis lawyer Paul Michael Keichel even though legal commentators have slammed the ban as 'unconstitutional', 'illogical' and 'unenforcable'. Read More Cannabis Master Plan Descends into ‘Omnishambles’ as Hemp Foodstuff Ban Reveals Serious Faultlines at Cabinet Level 19 March 2025 at 20:30:00 Seven years after Government unveiled the Cannabis Master Plan, the sad truth has been laid bare: “There is no commercialization policy, there is no economic or industrial strategy, there is no plan”. That’s the view of leading private sector cannabis consultant M Ayanda Bam, who says all the stakeholder engagement with government now seems to have been a waste of time. Read More Enua Signs 10 Ton Offtake Order With Nexus, Opening a New Door for SA Farmers to the Lucrative German Market 19 March 2025 at 16:00:00 Major German medical cannabis distributor Enua has expressed its confidence in the quality of South African export cannabis production and is seeking a long-term relationship with SAHPRA licensees through biomass processor Nexus. Read More Make Them Pay! Call for Govt Officials Responsible for the Hemp Foodstuff Ban to be Held Personally Liable for Damages 19 March 2025 at 10:00:00 As damages from the hemp foodstuff ban mount with no sign of the Health Ministry backing down, lawyers are being briefed to put together a court challenge. Industry anger is growing as millions of rand are being lost, and now there’s a call for responsible officials to be sued in their personal capacity. Read More Health Minster Had Already Decided on the Hemp Foodstuff Ban Before SONA, so Why Didn’t He Tell the President? 19 March 2025 at 08:00:00 Over 1 000 businesses and 400 SMME’s have been affected by the Health Minister’s ‘inexplicable’ ban on hemp foodstuffs and are bleeding millions of rand. The shock announcement has derailed the President’s cannabis vision and laid bare the policy rot at the core of the Cannabis Master Plan Read More DTIC: ‘Stop Dealing in Cannabis-Related Foodstuff Until Such Time as the Ban May Be Lifted’ 18 March 2025 at 18:30:00 The DTIC says although the ban on hemp foodstuffs does not fit in with the Cannabis Master Plan, the law is the law, and dealing in all such products “must cease”. It said it would engage with the Department of Health to relook at the ban but offered little solace to stakeholders who stand to lose millions of rand in the meantime. Read More Minister a ‘No Show’ for Hemp Webinar But Senior Health Official Says Stakeholder Concerns ‘Will Be Addressed’ 18 March 2025 at 15:00:00 Senior Health officials have started ‘walking back’ the controversial ban on hemp foodstuffs saying it’s part of a ‘regulatory process’ and that the Minister will ‘address the concerns raised’ by the hemp industry. Read More Hear the Health Minister Here on Cannabiz Africa 12h00 Tuesday, 18 March 17 March 2025 at 15:00:00 Cannabiz Africa in association with Cheeba will be livestreaming the 'What the Hemp' Webinar at 12h00 on Tuesday, 18 March 2025. Health Minister Aaron Mostsoaledi will appear on the platform to explain the reasons behind the ban in cannabis foodstuffs. See below for the link Read More ‘Suspend the Ban, Let’s Talk Guidelines for Cannabis in Foodstuff’ 17 March 2025 at 06:30:00 Top Government officials are being drawn into the Health Department's ban on cannabis in foodstuffs. Lawyer Charl Botha has written to the President saying the ban is unconstitutional and should be suspended while proper regulatory guidelines are put in place. Read More Hemp Organization Suspicious of Motivation Behind Ban, Threatens Court Action 15 March 2025 at 11:00:00 Hemp activists are mobilizing resources to take on the Minister of Health’s surprise ban on cannabis in all foodstuffs. FOHSA says its prepared to challenge the ban in court as it is unconstitutional and is concerned about what the real reasons behind the restrictions are. Read More Health Dept Moves to Calm Industry Nerves: ‘Cannabis Food Ban is Start of Regulatory Process’ 15 March 2025 at 07:00:00 Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale says the recent sudden ban of cannabis in foodstuffs was done in the name of consumer safety. He hinted that the ban would not be permanent but the start of a regulatory process to assess cannabis products before they appear on shelves. Read More Health Minister Agrees to Face the Nation on Cannabis Foodstuff Ban 14 March 2025 at 12:45:00 Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has agreed to appear on a Cheeba emergency stakeholder webinar on the crisis facing the hemp industry following last week’s cannabis foodstuff ban. To date the Minister has not explained his reasons for the surprise ban but he’s expected to do so next Tuesday, 12h00 along with a range of other guests on the Webinar entitled, What the Hemp. REGISTER HERE Read More Food, Beverages and The Cannabis Ban: What the Law Says 14 March 2025 at 11:30:00 The cannabis and health food industry is still reeling from last week’s ban on cannabis in all food and beverages. The ban will be a hard hit for legitimate businesses in this sector, while the ‘grey zone’ will do as it always pleases. Brett Pollack from cannabis consultancy Harambe Solutions offers a legal perspective Read More SA Cannabis Reform Now Seriously Unravelling; Can DTIC’s New Team Fix the Mess Created by Other Departments? 18 March 2025 at 09:30:00 It’s been six months since the DTIC was given responsibility for the National Cannabis Master Plan and since then cannabis reform has fragmented and turned ugly. The Department is putting together a special team to tackle cannabis commercialization, but without effective leadership at the top, it's being tasked with ‘mission impossible’. Read More Business Owners Guide to Dealing with the Edibles Ban 12 March 2025 at 17:00:00 Here's a practical guide as to what the ban on cannabis in all foodstuffs means for the business owner. Read More Health Minister's Cannabis Foods Ban Unleashes a Chorus of Condemnation 12 March 2025 at 13:00:00 Health Minister Aaron Mostoaledi’s decision to ban cannabis in foodstuffs has revealed the deep policy faultlines running through Government and widespread condemnation from industry stakeholders. The ban threatens to derail the National Cannabis Masterplan and undermines the President’s commitment to developing the hemp industry. Read More Appeal to President: 'Retract the Ban on Cannabis in Foodstuff, It Could Kill the Hemp Industry 12 March 2025 at 09:45:00 Hemp seeds have been regularly available on South African shelves for four decades and are now outlawed under the Health Minister's surprise ban on cannabis in foodstuff. The ban is bad news for the hemp industry generally and Cheeba Cannabis Academy has written an open letter to President Ramaphosa urging him to immediately rescind the ban before further harm is done. Read More Applications Open: DTIC Seeks Project Manager for Cannabis Master Plan 12 March 2025 at 07:00:00 The DTIC has restructured and seeking a project manager for the National Cannabis Master Plan: You're Interested? Apply Here Read More Shock Announcement! Health Minister Suddenly Bans Cannabis in All Foods and Beverages! 11 March 2025 at 08:45:00 In an astounding regulatory development, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, has issued a notice banning the use of cannabis in foodstuffs. The announcement in the Government Gazette of 7 March 2025, has left cannabis stakeholders stunned, as this flies in the face of the Presidency’s cannabis vision and undermines the National Cannabis Master Plan. Read More UCT Study Reveals About 5% of High School Kids Use Cannabis Regularly and Warns of Alarming Rise in Vaping 10 March 2025 at 11:30:00 About five percent of South African high school students use cannabis on a monthly basis. That’s according to a recent UCT study on vaping, which highlighted the health dangers of adolescents using e-cigarettes and encouraged parents to discourage the habit. Read More SAPS Reveals ‘Da Culture’ is an Ongoing Undercover Operation Against Illegal Cannabis Outlets in KZN 10 March 2025 at 08:15:00 Seven people have been arrested as a result of a four year SAPS undercover operation targeting illicit cannabis dealing networks in Kwa Zulu Natal. Police say the operation, in which plainclothes police officers target ‘grey zone’ outlets pretending to be customers, is ongoing. Read More Hawks Hail Prosecution of Pensioner Producing Cannabis Therapeutic Products as a ‘Significant Win’ in the Fight Against Drugs 9 March 2025 at 09:30:00 Random prosecutions continue against ‘grey zone’ operators with the Hawks hailing the conviction of an elderly Somerset West woman for dealing in R50 000 worth of cannabis-related products as a ‘significant win’ in efforts to curb the ‘illegal drug trade’. Read More Durban Medical Cannabis Expert Encourages Mainstream Doctors to Make More Use of Section 21 But Warns Against Being “Led Astray” By the Illicit Market 5 March 2025 at 20:30:00 Durban medical cannabis expert Dr Yernush Naidoo says more mainstream doctors are becoming aware of the healing qualities of cannabis, but that most practioners are ignorant of the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Read More Labat Lowers Cannabis Exposure, Raises IT Profile with R25 million Deal to Acquire Software Importer Ahnamu 5 March 2025 at 19:00:00 Labat Africa has spent over R40 million buying into two IT companies in the last few months, signalling its intention to reduce its dependence on its cannabis business. While the board is reviewing the risks associated with Cannafrica, its biggest cannabis business, its pivoting purposefully into the infotech arena. Read More ECRDA's Perspective on the Mpondoland Hemp Seed Recall Row 5 March 2025 at 14:00:00 Response to the Cannabiz Africa News Article Entitled : “Medigrow Recalls Hemp Seed Distributed in Mpondoland, Says ECRDA to Blame for ‘Misunderstanding with Legacy Growers’ Read More ECRDA Says its Championing Local Landraces as it gets Caught in the Mpondoland Hemp War Crossfire 5 March 2025 at 13:30:00 The ECRDA says it’s committed to supporting legacy cannabis farmers and is in the process of registering local landrace seeds for commercial use. But it points out that its mandate is also to help hemp permit holders grow imported genetics and that it has to manage these competing dynamics. Read More NPA To Issue Cannabis Arrest Guidelines ‘Soon’, But No Sign Yet of Cannabis Act Regulations 3 March 2025 at 09:00:00 A senior policeman has confirmed that the National Prosecuting Authority is to issue new guidelines regarding cannabis arrests ‘soon’. However, these guidelines depend on what regulations govern the Cannabis Act, a task the Justice Department has been sitting on for nine months. Read More Prince Says No Progress as Police Play Hardball at Rasta Round Table, Insist on Upholding Their Rights to ‘Search and Arrest’ 1 March 2025 at 10:00:00 The SAHRC-convened Rasta Round Table in Gauteng this week made little progress in its campaign to halt cannabis arrests. The cops agreed to ‘sensitivity training’ for SAPS members, but would not back down on their rights to ‘search and seizure’. Rasta leader Ras Gareth Prince (pictured here) said afterwards, it was clear that Government was not serious about negotiating in good faith. Read More Medigrow: 'We Are Fulfilling Our Obligations to Govt Not Forcing Hemp on Mpondoland' 26 February 2025 at 18:00:00 This is the full statement from Medigrow clarifying its relationships with Eastern Cape provincial government departments and Mpondoland cannabis farmers over the hemp issue Read More Medigrow Recalls Hemp Seed Distributed in Mpondoland, Saying ECRDA Should Carry the Can for ‘Misunderstanding’ 26 February 2025 at 15:00:00 Medigrow CEO Edgar Adams (pictured here) has moved swiftly to calm rising tensions over hemp in Mpondoland. The company has withdrawn the hemp seeds distributed to a select group of farmers and has met with the Mpondoland Cannabis Belt Association farmers to allay fears that their landraces were under threat. Read More Silence of the SOPAs: Not a Word from E Cape and Gauteng Premiers on Any 2025 Plan for Industrial Cannabis to Create Jobs 26 February 2025 at 11:15:00 The Eastern Cape Premier never misses an opportunity to promote cannabis development so why the mysterious silence on the subject during his SOPA? And Gauteng? Not even a SOPA whisper on how the country’s economic powerhouse intends to use industrial cannabis to uplift the poor and create jobs. Read More Cannabis Mission DRC: Cheeba to the Rescue to Fix Broken Hemp Project 26 February 2025 at 07:00:00 The DRC hasn’t featured much in the African legal cannabis landscape because the industry is going through the teething pains of developing an export market. A major industrial hemp project near Kinshasa ran into trouble with its first harvest and called in South African-based Cheeba Consultancy to help iron out the problems. Read More Nexus Cements Ties With German Investment Partners as it Brings Two Processing Faciities to Market 26 February 2025 at 06:00:00 Nexus Pharmaceuticals is consolidating its position in the cannabis ‘biomass’ processing space as its Gauteng facility nears completion and German investors jet in to formalize their relationship with the company. Read More Rastas and the Law Square Off at the Round Table to Halt Cannabis Arrests 26 February 2025 at 20:00:00 The South African Human Rights Commission convened the Rasta Round Table at the Birchwood Hotel on the East Rand on 26 February 2025. This was the first high profile meeting between Rastafarian representatives from all nine provinces and senior security cluster officials with the SAHRC's main aim being to halt cannabis arrests Read More Dr Gallow in Demand: SA’s ‘Medical Cannabis Ambassador’ Hits the World Stage After Concluding Ground-breaking SA Research 19 February 2025 at 12:30:00 Dr Shiksha Gallow recently wrapped up SA’s first Pharma-ethics and DOH approved clinical trials involving cannabis and has now become a highly sought after presenter in the international medical cannabis arena. She is presenting two papers in Brisbane this week at the CIU Australian Medical Cannabis Conference. This follows her whirlwind tour of USA, Costa Rica, Thailand and the Philippines in the past few months Read More What Sets Us Apart ? Cannabiz Africa is the leading B2B news platform for the continent's cannabis industry, connecting you directly with key stakeholders. 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Cannabiz-Africa is your hub for all cannabis news and resources. Everything from breaking news, cannabis politics, business investments, legal policies and a marketplace network where we connect you with local businesses. Be in the know with the hottest, freshest and most up-to date hemp movements. BREAKING Medical News Cannabiz Africa brings you the hottest breaking Medical cannabis news right here! From crucial developments in laws and reform to socio-economic changes in the industry. Find your latest dose of breaking news right here and stay onto of the earliest developments! Essential Reading: Current Cannabis Regulations in South Africa 2025 9 May 2025 at 09:45:00 The global CBD industry continues to grow rapidly, and South Africa has positioned itself as one of the most progressive CBD markets in Africa. While CBD products are legally available to consumers, there is still a degree of uncertainty around the regulations—especially concerning dosage limits, THC content, and product categories. Read More THCV Looks to be the Magic ‘Weight Loss’ Cannabis Compound 4 May 2025 at 17:00:00 Research on the use of cannabis components to aid weight loss found that use of a combined product containing the cannabinoids THCV and CBD “was associated with statistically significant weight loss” as well as a slimmer waistline, lower blood pressure and decreased cholesterol. Read More Global Medical Cannabis Market Experiencing Healthy, Double Digit Growth Despite Regulatory Challenges 2 May 2025 at 14:00:00 The ‘Medical Marijuana Global Strategic Business Report 2025’ projects over 14% compound growth in the international market with key growth drivers including increased legalization, technological advancements in cultivation and extraction, and rising chronic disease prevalence. Among the challenges are regulatory hurdles and social stigma. Read More Synergy Medibles' Robin Grobelaar: Making Plant Alchemy Work Within the Rules 30 April 2025 at 16:15:00 Robin Grobelaar (pictured here) is the man behind Synergy Medibles, the innovative business concept that has navigated the hazards of the current regulatory regime to produce SAH|PRA compliant ‘medibles. He explains to Cannabiz Africa publisher Brett Hilton-Barber how these edibles are not foodstuffs at all, but are complementary medicines in line with the regulator’s consumer safety guidelines. Read More Edibles Game Changer: Synergy to Launch ‘Medibles' Concept at Expo 30 April 2025 at 15:45:00 South Africa’s largest medical cannabis service provider, Synergy Wellness, has taken advantage of the whole furore over cannabis edibles to launch a new product concept – ‘medibles’. In a classic case of guerrilla marketing, Synergy has used the publicity around the recently rescinded cannabis in foodstuffs ban to bring to market a completely compliant over-the-counter cannabis edibles range with health benefits. Read More Cannabis Expo: Health and Wellness is Trending, Is it Replacing the Novelty of ‘Rec’? 30 April 2025 at 13:00:00 With Gauteng’s Cannabis Expo just a month away, it’s clear that there is a growing consumer interest in the health and wellness benefits of cannabis and that the novelty of unfettered access to recreational THC products is not what it used to be. Nonetheless there will be plenty of both at the Sandton Convention Centre from 30 May to 1 June 2025 Read More Namibian Activists Call for Legalization of Medical Cannabis on 420 Day 22 April 2025 at 10:00:00 Namibian cannabis activists marched in Windhoek on 20 April 2025 to mark 420 Day and to call for the legalization of medical cannabis. The march, led by advocate Borro Ndungula (pictured here) of the Ganja Users of Namibia (GUN), was aimed at highlighting an upcoming court case challenging the Government’s prohibitionist stance.. Read More Largest Ever Cannabis Cancer Study Shows ‘Overwhelming’ Scientific Consensus on its Benefits 20 April 2025 at 13:00:00 A major new study shows mainstream medicine is firmly onboard in acknowledging the therapeutic role cannabis can play in treating cancer-related symptoms. The researchers say they were expecting controversy in canvassing doctors and scientists on the issue, but instead found overwhelming consensus on the benefits of cannabis. Read More Synergy’s Hodes: There’s No Regulatory Uncertainty Around Medical Cannabis and the Market is Growing 9 April 2025 at 20:00:00 Fast-growing Synergy Wellness is the headline sponsor for this year’s Cannabis Expo and will be using the event as a major drive to make people aware of the medical benefits of cannabis. Synergy director Jon Hodes (pictured here) believes health and wellness will be one of the most sustainable sectors of the new cannabis market and has structured the company’s business plan around this. Read More Main Networking Event of the Year: Cheeba Africa’s Industry Summit at Cannabis Expo 9 April 2025 at 18:30:00 Cheeba Africa has announced it will hold a two day ‘Cannabis and Hemp Summit’ at the Cannabis Expo to bring stakeholders together to network, upskill and develop their business concepts. It will also provide a forum for the industry to discuss how best to deal with Government in the imminent ‘stakeholder discussons’ on cannabis policy. Read More Cannabis Expo’s Howarth: ‘We’re Building the Highway Even if the Road Signs Aren’t Up Yet’ 9 April 2025 at 13:30:00 This year’s Cannabis Expo comes at a crucial time for the cannabis industry as the ‘grey zone’ consumer market explodes and Government says its ‘really willing’ to engage stakeholders on policy. It’s also been a tough time for players wanting to be legitimate, but that could all be changing. Expo CEO Silas Howarth (pictured here) shares his thoughts on putting together Africa’s biggest cannabis event and where the market is at. Read More Cannabis Expo Signs Up Synergy as Headline Sponsor, Gets Ready to Rock Sandton at the End of May 9 April 2025 at 13:15:00 Africa’s grandest cannabis show comes to town next month in the form of the Cannabis Expo. The three day celebration of cannabis culture and essential business networking will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre from 30 May to 1 June 2025. Thousands of people are expected to attend the Expo which will also see a ‘summit’ of industry stakeholders take place to discuss how to push cannabis reform forward. Read More Medical Research Council: Standardize THC Dosage Limits and Labelling Guidelines 8 April 2025 at 13:30:00 The SAMRC has called for standardized dosage regulations for THC edible products and appropriate labelling guidelines. It says legalization of cannabis carries risks for youngsters and with edibles consumption on the rise, authorities need to be increasingly conscious of consumer safety. Read More Druids Taps Into Ancient Wisdom: Launches Biotika, Plant Medicine Booster Range 7 April 2025 at 14:15:00 Druids Garden, the SAHPRA-licensed Gauteng facility has been at the forefront of much of the innovation in South Africa’s cannabis industry. The latest fruit from its garden is Biotika, a range of plant-based energy boosters and health supplements that it bought to market last month. Cannabis Africa publisher Brett Hilton-Barber got the lowdown on the worldwide return to ancient medicines with Druids’ CEO Cian McLelland, who also shared his thoughts on the sorry state of SA cannabis reform. Read More Eight SAHPRA Cannabis Cultivators Lose Their Licenses 4 April 2025 at 08:45:00 Eight cannabis farming companies have lost their Section 22 cultivation licenses. This has been confirmed by SAHPRA, which says two were due to permanent facility closures, three were revoked and four were cancelled. Read More UN Bans HHC or ‘Synthetic Cannabis’ for Worldwide Non-Medical Use 27 March 2025 at 07:00:00 South Africa voted along with 49 other nations to ban hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) at the UN Commission on Psychotropic Substances (CND) in Vienna earlier this month. HHC, which is synthetically derived and similar in effect to THC, has been widely available legally in many parts of the US and Europe. Read More President Ramaphosa Orders Cannabis Foodstuff Ban to Be Lifted Immediately 25 March 2025 at 18:00:00 President Cyril Ramaphosa has instructed Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to withdraw the controversial ban on cannabis in foodstuffs with immediate effect. He’s also ordered the Minister to begin consultations with stakeholders before issuing any further notice on the matter. This is a statement from the Presidency. Read More Health Minster Had Already Decided on the Hemp Foodstuff Ban Before SONA, so Why Didn’t He Tell the President? 19 March 2025 at 08:00:00 Over 1 000 businesses and 400 SMME’s have been affected by the Health Minister’s ‘inexplicable’ ban on hemp foodstuffs and are bleeding millions of rand. The shock announcement has derailed the President’s cannabis vision and laid bare the policy rot at the core of the Cannabis Master Plan Read More DTIC: ‘Stop Dealing in Cannabis-Related Foodstuff Until Such Time as the Ban May Be Lifted’ 18 March 2025 at 18:30:00 The DTIC says although the ban on hemp foodstuffs does not fit in with the Cannabis Master Plan, the law is the law, and dealing in all such products “must cease”. It said it would engage with the Department of Health to relook at the ban but offered little solace to stakeholders who stand to lose millions of rand in the meantime. Read More Minister a ‘No Show’ for Hemp Webinar But Senior Health Official Says Stakeholder Concerns ‘Will Be Addressed’ 18 March 2025 at 15:00:00 Senior Health officials have started ‘walking back’ the controversial ban on hemp foodstuffs saying it’s part of a ‘regulatory process’ and that the Minister will ‘address the concerns raised’ by the hemp industry. Read More Cannabis Terpenes May Relieve Chronic Pain without THC’s Psychoactive Effects. 17 March 2025 at 12:30:00 Researchers in Arizona found that certain terpenes significantly reduced fibromyalgia and post-surgical pain in animal studies, with geraniol showing the most promise. Read More ‘Suspend the Ban, Let’s Talk Guidelines for Cannabis in Foodstuff’ 17 March 2025 at 06:30:00 Top Government officials are being drawn into the Health Department's ban on cannabis in foodstuffs. Lawyer Charl Botha has written to the President saying the ban is unconstitutional and should be suspended while proper regulatory guidelines are put in place. Read More Cannabis-Infused Foods on the Rise Worldwide, Highlighting Need for International Guidelines 15 March 2025 at 10:00:00 There are undisputed therapeutic and nutritional benefits associated with cannabis-infused foodstuff and around the world consumer demand is rising for such products. However, there are no international guidelines protecting consumers and a framework needs to be put in place. Read More Health Dept Moves to Calm Industry Nerves: ‘Cannabis Food Ban is Start of Regulatory Process’ 15 March 2025 at 07:00:00 Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale says the recent sudden ban of cannabis in foodstuffs was done in the name of consumer safety. He hinted that the ban would not be permanent but the start of a regulatory process to assess cannabis products before they appear on shelves. Read More Health Minister's Cannabis Foods Ban Unleashes a Chorus of Condemnation 12 March 2025 at 13:00:00 Health Minister Aaron Mostoaledi’s decision to ban cannabis in foodstuffs has revealed the deep policy faultlines running through Government and widespread condemnation from industry stakeholders. The ban threatens to derail the National Cannabis Masterplan and undermines the President’s commitment to developing the hemp industry. Read More Shock Announcement! Health Minister Suddenly Bans Cannabis in All Foods and Beverages! 11 March 2025 at 08:45:00 In an astounding regulatory development, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, has issued a notice banning the use of cannabis in foodstuffs. The announcement in the Government Gazette of 7 March 2025, has left cannabis stakeholders stunned, as this flies in the face of the Presidency’s cannabis vision and undermines the National Cannabis Master Plan. Read More UCT Study Reveals About 5% of High School Kids Use Cannabis Regularly and Warns of Alarming Rise in Vaping 10 March 2025 at 11:30:00 About five percent of South African high school students use cannabis on a monthly basis. That’s according to a recent UCT study on vaping, which highlighted the health dangers of adolescents using e-cigarettes and encouraged parents to discourage the habit. Read More Hawks Hail Prosecution of Pensioner Producing Cannabis Therapeutic Products as a ‘Significant Win’ in the Fight Against Drugs 9 March 2025 at 09:30:00 Random prosecutions continue against ‘grey zone’ operators with the Hawks hailing the conviction of an elderly Somerset West woman for dealing in R50 000 worth of cannabis-related products as a ‘significant win’ in efforts to curb the ‘illegal drug trade’. Read More Durban Medical Cannabis Expert Encourages Mainstream Doctors to Make More Use of Section 21 But Warns Against Being “Led Astray” By the Illicit Market 5 March 2025 at 20:30:00 Durban medical cannabis expert Dr Yernush Naidoo says more mainstream doctors are becoming aware of the healing qualities of cannabis, but that most practioners are ignorant of the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Read More Cannabis is the Gateway Drug to the World’s New Plant-based Medicine Revolution 1 March 2025 at 08:30:00 Plant-based therapies are becoming all the rage as more scientists unlock nature’s secrets to find new healing and wellness benefits. Africa is well-poised to take advantage of the new global plant-based product revolution that is integrating cosmetics and healing. Read More CBD Shots Prove There’s Life Left in the Old Nag as Israel Develops New Pain Treatment Product for Animals 20 February 2025 at 12:30:00 Israeli company Innocann, has developed a single shot CBD injection treatment for osteoarthritis that could have wide application in the international veterinary world. The Liposomal CBD treatment was administered to Ariel the elderly donkey with positive results and there could be future application for humans. Read More Dr Gallow in Demand: SA’s ‘Medical Cannabis Ambassador’ Hits the World Stage After Concluding Ground-breaking SA Research 19 February 2025 at 12:30:00 Dr Shiksha Gallow recently wrapped up SA’s first Pharma-ethics and DOH approved clinical trials involving cannabis and has now become a highly sought after presenter in the international medical cannabis arena. She is presenting two papers in Brisbane this week at the CIU Australian Medical Cannabis Conference. This follows her whirlwind tour of USA, Costa Rica, Thailand and the Philippines in the past few months Read More Welcome to the World of ‘Cosmeceuticals’: CBD Cosmetics Can Blend Beauty and Healing 14 February 2025 at 07:15:00 CBD is set to play an increasing role in cosmetic and beauty products such as skin and hair care as research highlights the cannabis compound’s anti-aging and antioxidant effects. It’s also been found to accelerate the healing of wounds. Read More Qure’s Brenda Marx: “Market Will Be Boosted By Govt Recognition of the Importance of Cannabis Testing 12 February 2025 at 15:00:00 The quiet announcement by the DTICC that product testing will be compulsory in funding applications is hugely significant says Qure's Brenda Marx. She says this requirement signals the start of a standardization process across the industry and will encourage laboratories to work more closely together. Read More DTIC Appoints Four Labs for Testing Cannabis Products as it Issues New Funding Guidelines 12 February 2025 at 11:00:00 The DTIC has issued new guidelines for entities seeking funding and has appointed Afriplex, NAFS, Qure and Vinlab as its official cannabis testing labs. The Department says funding applications for product development has to be accompanied by product test results from one of these four service providers. Read More ‘TeleHealth’ Services Drive Rapidly Growing Australian Medical Cannabis Market 4 February 2025 at 07:00:00 Australia’s medical cannabis boom is being driven by an explosion of ‘telehealth’ clinics that have eliminated procedural bottlenecks and driven up prescription volumes. But they are also coming under scrutiny by authorities for ‘fronting’ for recreational use. Read More New Partnerships, New Paradigms: Eco Green Becomes SCIPP’s Satellite Lab To Research Indigenous Psychedelics 26 January 2025 at 08:30:00 Cape Town cannabis lab Eco Green Analytics has entered the traditional medicine research field by partnering with the Pretoria-based Southern Centre for Indigenous Psycho Pharma (SCIPP). It will offer its services to analyse medicines used by traditional healers and psylocibin mushrooms in a quest to unlock the therepeutic benefits of indigenous plants. Read More SA’s Medical Cannabis Expertise Spreads its Wings: Dr Gallow Invited to Philippines to Support Legalization Bid 15 January 2025 at 06:30:00 South Africa’s ‘Medical Cannabis Ambassador’, Dr Shiksha Gallow, recently trained and certified 40 doctors in medical cannabis in the Philippines where the practice is generally outlawed. She was keynote speaker at a conference pushing to legalize medical cannabis and urged the Manilla government to accept the legitimacy of cannabis as a healing plant. Read More Poland’s Medical Cannabis Shake-Up: Drastic Drop in Patients as Authorities Halt the “Prescription Machine’. 13 January 2025 at 09:30:00 Since November 2024, Poland has observed a drastic decrease in the number of prescriptions for medical cannabis. This change is a direct result of the tightening of regulations on ‘prescription machines’ by the Ministry of Health which specifies that prospective patients have to be personally examined by a doctor. Read More Feeling the Squeeze: Over 25% SAHPRA Growers Deregistered in Last 3 Months 10 January 2025 at 08:00:00 A quarter of South Africa’s SAHPRA-licensed cannabis growers have been deregistered in the past three months. This reflects the difficulties export cultivators are facing in their struggle to crack international markets, tied-up capital and surplus inventory. Read More 2025: A Year for Removing the Rocks on the Road to Cannabis Reform 8 January 2025 at 13:00:00 The South African cannabis industry has gone through a painful few years, constrained by Government’s slow and shambolic approach to regulatory reform. The irony is that to date the ‘grey zone’ appears to have benefitted the most so far from the Constitutional Courts 2018 decision to legalize private consumption, while other sectors of the cannabis economy have lagged behind. So what lies in store for SA cannabis in the year ahead? Cannabiz Africa publisher Brett Hilton-Barber has a look ahead. Read More New Study Shows CBD Reduces Craving in Adults Addicted to Alcohol 31 December 2024 at 07:00:00 A recent study found that a simple 800 mg capsule of cannabidiol (CBD) could be effective at reducing alcohol cravings among individuals with alcohol use disorder. Read More Going into 2025, Africa’s Potential to be a Medical Cannabis Powerhouse Remains an Elusive Dream 30 December 2024 at 09:00:00 Africa faces numerous hurdles if it is ever to realize its potential to become a global leader in medical cannabis production. Among those challenges are balancing policy, economic growth and social norms. With lazy, conservative thinking entrenched in post-colonial governments across the continent, Africa is many years away from any hope of being a player in the world medical cannabis arena. Read More Regulating Traditional Healers Will Reshape South Africa’s Medical Certification Landscape. 18 December 2024 at 06:00:00 The NPA says the Traditional Healers Act is being used as a front for cannabis retail and is illegal. This may be the case now, but there’s a whole debate coming about what constitutes medicine as the Government moves to bring traditional healers into the mainstream via a new set of regulations. Read More Searching for Sanity: Scientists Seek Solutions for Modern Mental Health Issues by Understanding Africa’s Ancient Plant Medicines 15 December 2024 at 09:00:00 A ground-breakng new ‘psycho-pharma research centre has been launched at the University of Pretoria to delve into the mysteries of African psychedelics and other medicinal plants to explore their potential to treat modern mental health conditions. Read More Brazil: Medical Cannabis Market Booming as the Pieces Fall into Place 14 December 2024 at 07:00:00 Medical cannabis use has climbed to new peaks in Brazil, with a 56% increase in patients seeking treatment. This in turn has led to a 22% increase in revenue in the sector as the South American giant shows how the healing benefits of the plant are having a knock-on effect on the economy. Read More High Hopes for Zimbabwe’s Medical Cannabis Sector Despite Challenges 14 December 2024 at 05:00:00 Zimbabwe’s Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) has noted farmers showing a growing interest in medical cannabis Zimbabwe for medicinal purposes, but production challenges are slowing the growth of the sector. Read More First South Africans Test Positive For Fentanyl as Killer Drug Surfaces in KZN and E Cape 9 December 2024 at 05:00:00 The first signs have emerged that South Africa is heading for a fentanyl crisis. Clinics in KwaZulu Natal and the Eastern Cape report that patients have, for the first time, tested positive for the opioid that has caused tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the United States. Read More Scratching the Next Surface: Minor Cannabinoids Hold the Key to Major Therapeutic Benefits 4 December 2024 at 06:00:00 From CBN to CBG and THCA, there are more than 100 cannabinoids in the plant with different psychoactive and non-psychoactive components. Indeed, each cannabinoid counts different attributes, with research only beginning to scratch the surface of how we can leverage specific cannabinoids for specific therapies. Read More Synergy Wellness: Building a Medical Cannabis Eco-System from the Ground Up 3 December 2024 at 10:00:00 Section 21 of the Medicines Act is the only way South Africans can buy cannabis legally so there's obviously been a surge of new ‘grey zone’ operators offering this service. Given that Section 21 itself is being so widely interpreted, where does the line of compliance lie? Cannabiz Africa spoke to market leader Synergy Wellness to find out more. Read More New Long-Term Study Busts Stereotypes About Cannabis Use and Mental Decline 22 November 2024 at 07:00:00 Men with a history of cannabis use over 44 years were not any more likely to show mental decline in old age than non-users. The ‘Brain and Behaviour’ Study is the latest report to debunk the myth that cannabis use leads to age-related cognitive decline. Read More Pain Relief is what Most Medical Cannabis Patients Are Looking For 20 November 2024 at 05:00:00 In the United States nearly one-third (32%) of medical cannabis patients cite chronic pain as their primary condition for medical cannabis use, with anxiety the second most common (26.8%) followed by insomnia (18.5%). Read More Zimbabwe's Ivory Medical Launches Therapeutic Product Range Integrating Cannabis and Traditional African Medicine 11 November 2024 at 06:00:00 Zimbabwe has been struggling to develop its medical cannabis value chain but this looks set to change as Ivory Medical brings an innovative product range to market. Its CannaQure range, launched last week, integrates traditional African medicines into cannabis-based therapeutic products. Read More African Pharmacists Need to Take Cannabis Seriously – Or Risk Being Trapped in the ‘Knowledge Gap’ 7 November 2024 at 04:00:00 Only nine countries in Africa have legalized medical cannabis to some degree, but for the rest of the continent the global medical cannabis revolution is passing it by. Nonetheless, African pharmacists should tackle their own knowledge gap in anticipation of cannabis becoming part of integrated public health systems in the future. Read More ‘Understaffed’ SAHPRA ‘Over-Reliant’ on ‘High Risk’ Fee Income from Big Pharma 25 October 2024 at 05:00:00 SAHPRA’s government grant has been declining for years and the regulatory authority is increasingly reliant on fee income, which it says is a “high risk situation”. It has appealed to Treasury for further funding saying that it is understaffed and needs to invest in technical infrastructure. Read More Uganda Issues Medical Cannabis Export Guidelines 22 October 2024 at 12:00:00 Uganda’s cannabis policy is to legalize cannabis only for export. Kampala is currently not considering domestic consumption of industrial, medical or recreational cannabis, but has recently issued guidelines for prospective exporters. Read More SAHPRA Concerned Over Medical Cannabis Prescription 'Misuse': Section 21 Clampdown On Its Way 17 October 2024 at 08:00:00 Sources close to SAHPRA say a clampdown on the ‘misuse’ of medical cannabis prescriptions is on its way. The regulator is concerned that many ‘Section 21’ medical cannabis patients are actually using their prescriptions for ‘recreational’ purposes and intends taking remedial action. Read More Hawks Warn Fentanyl Has Entered Local “Drug Trafficking Conveyer Belts” Yet Two Gauteng Rehab Facilities Close Doors Because of Funding Challenges 14 October 2024 at 09:00:00 The deadly opioid fentanyl is now firmly part of the South African ‘drug conveyer belt’. This is the warning from the head of the Hawks who expects substance abuse levels to increase. This comes at a time when two major Gauteng private rehab centres have closed doors because of Government 'funding challenges', leaving hundreds of patients stranded. Read More Medical Cannabis SA: Here’s What You Need to Know 8 October 2024 at 09:00:00 There has been a huge upsurge of Section 21 medical cannabis patients in the last year, with SAHPRA expressing concern that many ‘dispensaries’ offering this service are actually just a front for ‘recreational’ sales. Just what is the current legal landscape in terms of medical cannabis in South Africa? Bassani Medical Cannabis CEO Mike Stringer lays down the line. Read More UK Study: Many ‘Cannabis Vapes’ Contain a Dangerous ‘Synthetic Cannabinoid” 8 October 2024 at 06:00:00 ‘Synthetic Cannabinoids’ (SC’s) are prevelant in the cannabis vapes sourced from the US being sold in the UK. A University of Bath study has revealed that vaping might not be such a ‘less harmful’ way of ingesting cannabis than previously believed. Read More Cannabis and Sex: Three US States Invite Public Comment About Treating Female Orgasmic Disorder with Medical Cannabis 26 September 2024 at 05:00:00 Over 40% of women worldwide have difficulty in attaining orgasm and this is now being treated as a serious health issue. In the US, the states of Oregon, New Mexico, and Arkansas opened public comment periods regarding adding Female Orgasm Difficulty/Disorder (FOD) as a condition of treatment with medical cannabis. Read More Medicines Act Amended to Pass Control of Non-Medical Cannabis to Agriculture Dept 25 September 2024 at 15:00:00 The Medicines Act has been amended, allowing control over non-medical cannabis to be passed on to the Agriculture Department. This means that future decisions, such as acceptable THC levels for various cannabis products, will ultimately be decided on by Agriculture, and not by the Health Department. Read More Cannabinoid Research: CBD & THC May Not Balance Each Other Out After All 9 September 2024 at 09:00:00 The two most studied compounds in cannabis may not balance each other out like it's commonly claimed. THC and CBD are often pitted against each other, but their effects on the human body may not be in a tug-of-war after all. A new study reveals CBD may not take the edge off THC, but in fact, taken at high doses may enhance the psychoactive effect. Read More SA’s Medical Cannabis Future Lies in Africa and the Local Market – Compliance Makes Europe an Expensive Exercise 29 August 2024 at 14:00:00 South Africa produces some of the cheapest cannabis in the world but high compliance standards make it prohibitively expensive to get into Europe. At a recent Cheeba webinar, panelists suggested that local cultivators forge long-term relationships with jurisdictions that aren’t so fussy until such time as the local medical cannabis market is sorted out. Read More Ukraine Legalizes Medical Cannabis as Russian Invasion Unleashes Widespread Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 19 August 2024 at 06:00:00 Ukraine has legalized medical cannabis as one of the ways of dealing with the Russian invasion which has obviously been deeply stressful to a large number of civilians and soldiers. One of the main reasons behind legalization is the potential healing effect cannabis may play in treating post-traumatic stress disorder. Read More UK Concern that Medical Cannabis is Being Overtaken by ‘Pseudo-Recreational Market’ 16 August 2024 at 06:00:00 Cannabis medical prescriptions in the United Kingdom have shot up in the past year, many of them for ‘unlicensed cannabis-based medicines’. A clampdown appears imminent against those doctors who are issuing medical scripts to ‘patients’ who are really wanting just to get stoned. Read More Are Women More Sensitive to THC Than Men? Science Says It Would Appear So 29 July 2024 at 08:00:00 The latest research suggests that women may need a lower dose of THC to get the same “high” as men, and that women develop resistance to the psychoactive effects of the plant more quickly than men do. Read More eSwatini Cautiously Plans to Legalize Medical Cannabis 18 June 2024 at 08:00:00 Eswatini is joining many of its African neighbours in legalizing cannabis for medical purposes, revising a colonial drug law dating back a century. Read More New Study: Drugs are Affecting the Environment, Big Pharma Needs to Make ‘Greener’ Products 8 June 2024 at 08:00:00 A report published by Nature Sustainability shows that human drug usage is becoming a threat to wildlife. Among the findings are that addiction, anxiety and sex reversal have been reported in species by researchers as a range of substances contaminate ecosystems around the world. Read More SA’s Medicinal Cannabis Sector in Trouble as ‘Grey’ Market Flourishes 8 June 2024 at 07:00:00 Can South Africa actually crack the international medicinal cannabis market? Thus far, the signs are not encouraging. The sector is haemorrhaging while the ‘grey’ adult-use market is thriving. Read More CBD Over-Hyped in Pain Treatment, Probably Doesn't Work Says International Review Panel 28 April 2024 at 06:00:00 A review of 16 randomised controlled trials testing the efficacy of CBD products for pain found they did not work. Although CBD may have positive effects in treating other conditions, a group of UK and Canadian researchers have said CBD products are over-hyped in treating pain. Read More Cannabis and Sex: Is Female Orgasmic Disorder a Qualifying Condition For Medical Cannabis? 23 March 2024 at 09:00:00 A new study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine reports that the potential benefits of the plant include increased orgasm frequency, improved satisfaction and greater ease achieving in achieving orgasm. Read More Afriplex, CRI, Releaf Take the Lead in Ground-Breaking Medical Trial That Proves Cannabis is Safer Alternative to Opioids in Chronic Pain Treatment 1 February 2024 at 10:00:00 Paarl-based Afriplex, the centre-piece of cannabis group Impilovest, has emerged as a leading player in a study that indicates that cannabis is highly effective in the treatment of opioid addiction. Read More UK: CBD Overhyped; Drinks Probably Won't Cure Your Anxiety 5 January 2024 at 09:00:00 There's a big difference between the shop-bought drinks, oils and edibles, and the medicinal products that are backed by science according to UK experts: CBD might not be all it's cracked out to be. Read More UK Expert Advice to Youngsters, Pregnant Women, Drivers and the Mentally Ill: Probably a Good Idea if You Avoid Cannabis 1 November 2023 at 16:00:00 A study published by BJM has found that it’s horses for courses: cannabis compounds can be detrimental for some but can be very beneficial for others. Read More Cannabis Bill: Latest Public Input Warns of Increased Danger Legalization Poses to Kids 18 October 2023 at 12:00:00 The latest round of public input on the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill was restricted to comment on new provisions relating to children and the plant. IOL reports that stakeholder opinion was divided. The deadline for comment was 13 October 2023. Read More UCT Lung Institute Study: Rich Kids Increasingly Vaping to Deal With Stress 25 September 2023 at 15:00:00 Research across three provinces shows that vaping is increasingly seen as a stress-reliever amongst wealthier kids, with their preferred substances being tobacco and cannabis. Read More US Study Shows Safe Daily CBD Dose is Up to 13 Times Higher Than What SAHPRA Allows 21 September 2023 at 14:00:00 There’s been a lot of controversy around acceptable daily doses of CBD, with SAHPRA setting a 20 mg limit. Now a US study headed for Congress says safe dosages could be 13 times higher, with up to 160 Mg of CBD/day being safe for most healthy adults. Read More Cannabis and Rugby: Not So Fast With The Red Card! 28 August 2023 at 13:00:00 With the Rugby World Cup about to get underway, we ask the question: is cannabis a performance-enhancing drug? This has become a debating point in New Zealand rugby circles after a player was banned for having THC in his system. Read More Shiksha’s Journey: Cannabis is Real Medicine, It Can Heal! Geddit? 30 July 2023 at 12:00:00 The Durban Cannabis Expo has concluded with one of the highlights being an address by acclaimed cannabis clinician Dr Shiksha Gallow. The ‘poster girl’ of the South African cannabis industry (and we say this with respect) opened up in a panel discussion how the plant had helped heal her and her partner, Wayne, heal after a motorcycle accident in 2020. Read More Unpacking Psychedelic Therapies: Basically They Enable the Brain to Make New Neural Connections and Break Past Patterns 19 May 2023 at 14:00:00 There’s been an explosion of interest in the potential healing power of psychedelics with more and more research coming onto the market. This is an excerpt from a paper by Edel Hyland of Queen’s University, Belfast, that sums up what psychedelic medicine is all about. Read More AI and Biotech: Developing New Drugs Faster 18 May 2023 at 09:00:00 The way drugs are developed is being rewritten as we speak. Discovering and approving new drugs is a lengthy process that requires years of development and a dismal success rate, but artificial intelligence (AI) could rev up the process in a major way. Read More Danish Study of 7 Million Health Records Highlights Risk of Cannabis Use Disorder – Especially Amongst Young Men 14 May 2023 at 10:00:00 As many as 30% of cases of schizophrenia among men aged 21-30 could have been prevented had they avoided cannabis use disorder, according to the study published on 11 May 2023 in Psychological Medicine. Read More Is the Tide Turning? SA Medical Cannabis Industry May Be Shaking Off the Blues as Over a Billion Rand of Investment Comes Knocking on the Door 11 May 2023 at 05:00:00 There are few players in the southern African cannabis industry that don’t have scars to show from the past few years as the sector has struggled to get off the ground. But those who’ve had deep pockets and have managed to stay the way are set to benefit from a new momentum in the medical cannabis export sector as new investments come in and international demand rises. Read More Oh No! SAHPRA Still Determined to Upset Everybody! Regulator Classifies Non-Psychoactive Cannabis Compound CBG as a Schedule 6 Substance 14 February 2023 at 10:00:00 In an astounding development, the South African Health Regulatory Authority has classified CBG as a Schedule 6 substance! This is a complete setback for commercialisation and undermines the President’s intentions to develop a cannabis and hemp economy. Read More Cannabis and Adolescents: Increasing Potency May Trigger Psychosis and Depression 9 February 2023 at 08:00:00 Cannabis has been touted as one of the safest psychoactive substances in the world, but that is not to say consumption is risk free. What are the effects of marijuana use on teenage brain development? Are there some people who should not use cannabis even if it’s legal? Dr Richard Friedman of Cornell University provides some cautionary advice. Read More What’s the Buzz? Honey Bees Respond Positively to CBD As Importance of Antioxidents in All Life Systems Becomes Apparent 8 February 2023 at 12:30:00 Bees are a crucial pollination agent and are in danger the whole world over. A study by Polish researchers has shown honey bees respond positively to CBD, but the implications go further than the health of our pollinators. It suggests that cannabis could be beneficial to antioxident systems in other species too. Read More Ibogaine: Bio-Pirates Target Gabon’s Sacred Plant As Worldwide Demand Soars 1 February 2023 at 13:00:00 Ibogaine’s healing properties are as yet to be thoroughly researched and Gabon’s sacred plant is classified as a Schedule 1 substance in the US because of its psychoactive effects. However, it increasingly being used by opioid detox clinics in Mexico, New Zealand and the Netherlands as its popularity grows rapidly, despite the dangers associated with it. Read More Gabon Sitting on an Ibogaine Goldmine as African Medicinal Plants Become the Way of the Future 28 January 2023 at 09:00:00 The world is waking up to the power of African medicine. Gabon’s sacred plant, Ibogaine, is increasingly in demand because of its powerful healing properties. Read More Pillay Lives to Fight Another Day 14 July 2022 at 22:00:00 Senior Health Official in Charge of Cannabis Regulation Gets Final Warning for His Role in the Digital Vibes Scandal But Criminal Charges Still Pending Read More SA Medical Journal: “Impossible to Argue That Teenage Cannabis Use is Safe” 20 June 2022 at 22:00:00 Cannabis Use During Pregnancy Increases Risks for Newborns Read More At Long Last SA’s First Cannabis Clinical Trials Have Begun! Biodata Study to See Whether Cannabis Can Replace Opioids in Pain Management 13 June 2022 at 06:30:00 Crowdfunding approach to ensure legal access for all to medical cannabis Read More What Sets Us Apart ? Cannabiz Africa is the leading B2B news platform for the continent's cannabis industry, connecting you directly with key stakeholders. With over 4,000 unique monthly users and a growing audience of 1,500 engaged Newsline subscribers, we provide unmatched visibility for your brand. 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Cannabiz-Africa is your hub for all cannabis news and resources. Everything from breaking news, cannabis politics, business investments, legal policies and a marketplace network where we connect you with local businesses. Be in the know with the hottest, freshest and most up-to date hemp movements. LATEST CANNABIZ AFRICA NEWSLINE THE BUSINESS OF CANNABIS COMING IN FRESH EVERY WEEK NEWSLINE # 111 Top Story: Retail Hemp Comes of Age as Hemporium Opens Flagship Store in Cape Town NEWSLINE # 110 Top Story: Afriplex Takes Cannabis SciTech to a New Level Altogether NEWSLINE # 109 Top Story: Alarming Biomass Build Up NEWSLINE # 108 Top Story: Africa’s Leading Business School Seeks to Create Cannabis Entrepreneurs What Sets Us Apart ? Cannabiz Africa is the leading B2B news platform for the continent's cannabis industry, connecting you directly with key stakeholders. With over 4,000 unique monthly users and a growing audience of 1,500 engaged Newsline subscribers, we provide unmatched visibility for your brand. Advertise with us today to reach the heart of the industry! Click here, to advertise your brand, product and or service

Cannabiz-Africa is your hub for all cannabis news and resources. Everything from breaking news, cannabis politics, business investments, legal policies and a marketplace network where we connect you with local businesses. Be in the know with the hottest, freshest and most up-to date hemp movements. BREAKING Business News Cannabiz Africa brings you the hottest breaking business cannabis news right here! From crucial developments in laws and reform to socio-economic changes in the industry. Find your latest dose of breaking news right here and stay onto of the earliest developments! Synergy to Give Away a Million Rands Worth of Medibles at the Cannabis Expo! Read More Synergy Wellness will be celebrating its fifth birthday at the Cannabis Expo and spreading the joy with a mass hand out of its new 'medibles' range. Sponsorship of the Expo is a milestone for the group which is now one of the largest medical cannabis distribution networks in the world, with a network of over 250 outlets and a healthy flow of product to market. Postcard from Berlin: SA Viewed as a ‘Sleeping Giant’ on the Cusp of Something Significant says Nexus' Johann Slabber Read More Nexus Pharma’s Johann Slabber (pictured here) was at the International Cannabis Conference in Berlin at the end of April and sent us his key take-outs on Europe’s biggest annual cannabis indaba. In the old days, he says, compliance with international standards was a differentiator for South African exporters. Nowdays, it’s a prerequisite if the country is to realise its potential as a world player. Okhahlamba Hopes Planned ‘Shared Cannabis Processing Facility’ Will Create Jobs as KZN Now Has Highest Unemployment Rate in SA 16 May 2025 at 08:00:00 Okhahlamba (Bergville) Municipality in the Kwazulu Natal Drakensberg his pinning its hopes to bring down crippling unemployment in the area with the development of a cannabis processing facility. The pilot project is being funded by the province but the Municipality hopes to raise an additional R10 million to bring it to fruition. Read More Infrastructure Snags Slow Down Rwanda’s Flagship Cannabis Development Project 15 May 2025 at 10:15:00 Rwanda’s Development Board has put up US$1,5 million of the US$3 million needed to complete a major project in partnership with US company KKOG which has already sunk US$10 million into its Musanze facility. The project, already delayed by a year, is now ‘83%’ complete according to the RDB. Read More Synergy to Give Away a Million Rands Worth of Medibles at the Cannabis Expo! 14 May 2025 at 19:15:00 Synergy Wellness will be celebrating its fifth birthday at the Cannabis Expo and spreading the joy with a mass hand out of its new 'medibles' range. Sponsorship of the Expo is a milestone for the group which is now one of the largest medical cannabis distribution networks in the world, with a network of over 250 outlets and a healthy flow of product to market. Read More Cheeba Cannabis & Hemp Summit at the Expo: Major Networking Event Comes at Key Moment in Cannabis Reform 14 May 2025 at 19:15:00 South Africa’s premier cannabis industry networking event will be held alongside the Cannabis Expo taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre on 30 and 31 May 2025. The Cheeba Cannabis and Hemp Industry Summit will bring together cannabis and hemp sector leaders with senior advisor Garth Strachan (pictured above) delivering the keynote address. Read More The CannaClub : South Africa’s Oldest Private Cannabis Club 10 Years On and Still Going Strong! 14 May 2025 at 17:30:00 The CannaClub (TCC) is South Africa’s oldest private cannabis club and had its roots in an informal cannabis ‘stokvel’ in the Western Cape’s Garden Route founded by Herman and Heidi van der Watt way back in 2015. Since then they’ve turned that vision into a leading ‘best business practice' not-for-profit organization with over 4 000 members and firm ties with local legacy cannabis communities and officialdom. Read More Postcard from Berlin: SA Viewed as a ‘Sleeping Giant’ on the Cusp of Something Significant says Nexus' Johann Slabber 14 May 2025 at 13:00:00 Nexus Pharma’s Johann Slabber (pictured here) was at the International Cannabis Conference in Berlin at the end of April and sent us his key take-outs on Europe’s biggest annual cannabis indaba. In the old days, he says, compliance with international standards was a differentiator for South African exporters. Nowdays, it’s a prerequisite if the country is to realise its potential as a world player. Read More ‘Crisis of Illegality’ Getting Worse: Grey Zone Sees More Cops on the Take and Consumers Increasingly Vulnerable 11 May 2025 at 10:30:00 Government’s lack of regulations for South Africa’s cannabis sector is perpetuating a ‘crisis of illegality’ that is spinning out of control. The unregulated explosion of the retail ‘grey zone’ has led to mass corruption in the police, employee abuse and lack of consumer protection and a critical intervention is urgently required. Read More One Year On: Why is the Cannabis Act Still Gathering Dust in the Legislative Parking Bay? 11 May 2025 at 09:30:00 Two stakeholder organizations have asked the Justice Department why it's taking so long to publish the draft regulations that would allow the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act 2024 to finally come into law. Read More Health Minister Says Public Consultations on Regulations for Cannabis and Foodstuffs 'Coming Soon’ 11 May 2025 at 09:00:00 The Health Ministry’s draft regulations around cannabis and foodstuffs will be put out for public comment ‘soon’. That’s according to Minister Aaron Motsoaledi who has yet to explain to stakeholders why he chose a to ban substances that were already illegal and in the process wreaked havoc on the hemp industry. Read More Unapologetic Health Minister Won’t Acknowledge Damage Done by Cannabis Foodstuff Ban, Which He Says Was “To Protect Children” 11 May 2025 at 07:30:00 Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi (pictured here) says he didn’t seek public comment on his shock cannabis in foodstuffs ban because legally he didn’t have to. Answering a question in the National Assembly, the Minister said the ban was issued as a prohibition notice which meant he could take an executive decision without consultation, and he did so to protect youngsters from harm. Read More CASP Cannabis Funding: Forget About Applying if You’re White and Afrikaans But it's OK if You're Chinese 10 May 2025 at 18:45:00 If you’re Chinese and holding South African citizenship you may qualify for cannabis funding under the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme, but forget about it if you’re white and Afrikaans. That’s according to the eligibility criteria for grants from the controversial state funding entity. Read More Govt-Funded Silver Tree Cannabis Project: No Training, No SAHPRA License and BTW the Director Used to Work for the Land Bank 10 May 2025 at 13:30:00 Silver Tree cannabis farm's director is a former Land Bank manager specialising in BEE transactions who conceptualized his cannabis ‘vision’ during his last year at the Bank in 2019. Simphiwe Yako is the man behind Silver Tree which is accused of misappropriating R20 million in government funding for cannabis training. Read More Essential Reading: Current Cannabis Regulations in South Africa 2025 9 May 2025 at 09:45:00 The global CBD industry continues to grow rapidly, and South Africa has positioned itself as one of the most progressive CBD markets in Africa. While CBD products are legally available to consumers, there is still a degree of uncertainty around the regulations—especially concerning dosage limits, THC content, and product categories. Read More CASP: The Rot at the Core of Government’s Plans to Fund Cannabis Training 7 May 2025 at 16:45:00 It beggars belief that the state entity involved in funding the fraudulent Gupta-linked Free State dairy scheme, is now disbursing cannabis funding on behalf of the Agriculture Department. But, yup, it’s true, and there should be no surprise that the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme is behind the missing R20 million earmarked for West Rand cannabis training Read More The Tier-Drop Solution: Here’s How to Rein In the Cannabis Cowboys and Regulate the ‘Grey Zone’ 5 May 2025 at 09:30:00 South Arica is in urgent need of a cannabis retail licensing system as the so-called ‘grey zone’ expands beyond regulatory reach. Charl Botha of H3 Legal Solutions has put forward a cannabis retail model that could address the absurdity of a system that criminalizes legitimate entrepreneurs and mainstreams drug dealers - and all the while emasculating officialdom. Read More Cheeba’s Trenton Birch: R20 million Govt Cannabis Training Shambles is ‘Sadly, Typical’ 4 May 2025 at 16:45:00 The founder and CEO of South Africa’s leading cannabis skills and training academy says he’s not surprised that Gauteng Government has mismanaged a West Rand training scheme in which R20 million appears to have been misappropriated. Cheeba Africa’s Trenton Birch says this is a “sadly, typical government project”. Read More Agriculture Dept Says It’s Ready to Roll-Out its New Hemp Support Programme Across the Country 4 May 2025 at 08:45:00 The Agriculture Department says it’s to embark on a nationwide ‘multiplication drive’ for the two local hemp varietals it has registered, and will provide permit holders with training and support with the assistance of the Agricultural Research Council. Read More Global Medical Cannabis Market Experiencing Healthy, Double Digit Growth Despite Regulatory Challenges 2 May 2025 at 14:00:00 The ‘Medical Marijuana Global Strategic Business Report 2025’ projects over 14% compound growth in the international market with key growth drivers including increased legalization, technological advancements in cultivation and extraction, and rising chronic disease prevalence. Among the challenges are regulatory hurdles and social stigma. Read More DA Accuses Gauteng Govt of Blowing R20 Million on West Rand Cannabis Project ‘That Has Nothing To Show For It’ 2 May 2025 at 11:30:00 The Democratic Alliance is taking on Gauteng’s Agriculture Department for wasting money on an ill-advised cannabis project at Tarlton near Mogale City. The Silver Tree project received R20 million funding to train cannabis farmers, but the money appears to have vanished without being spent on its intended purpose. Read More Synergy Medibles' Robin Grobelaar: Making Plant Alchemy Work Within the Rules 30 April 2025 at 16:15:00 Robin Grobelaar (pictured here) is the man behind Synergy Medibles, the innovative business concept that has navigated the hazards of the current regulatory regime to produce SAH|PRA compliant ‘medibles. He explains to Cannabiz Africa publisher Brett Hilton-Barber how these edibles are not foodstuffs at all, but are complementary medicines in line with the regulator’s consumer safety guidelines. Read More Edibles Game Changer: Synergy to Launch ‘Medibles' Concept at Expo 30 April 2025 at 15:45:00 South Africa’s largest medical cannabis service provider, Synergy Wellness, has taken advantage of the whole furore over cannabis edibles to launch a new product concept – ‘medibles’. In a classic case of guerrilla marketing, Synergy has used the publicity around the recently rescinded cannabis in foodstuffs ban to bring to market a completely compliant over-the-counter cannabis edibles range with health benefits. Read More Cannabis Expo: Health and Wellness is Trending, Is it Replacing the Novelty of ‘Rec’? 30 April 2025 at 13:00:00 With Gauteng’s Cannabis Expo just a month away, it’s clear that there is a growing consumer interest in the health and wellness benefits of cannabis and that the novelty of unfettered access to recreational THC products is not what it used to be. Nonetheless there will be plenty of both at the Sandton Convention Centre from 30 May to 1 June 2025 Read More If Govt Taxed the ‘Grey Zone’, There’d Be No VAT Increase Debate 28 April 2025 at 06:30:00 A cannabis 'sin tax' could conceivably remove or reduce the perceived need to raise VAT by 0.5 percentage points. That’s the view of the Daily Maverick’s Ed Stoddard, who says that cannabis remains the missing link in Treasury’s arsenal of taxes. Read More Standard Bank Interested in Financing the ‘Organic Products’ Sector, Cannabis Just Happens to be Part of That! 27 April 2025 at 10:00:00 Mainstream banks are beginning to nibble at the prospect of financing cannabis businesses as calls mount for the Government to remove the obstacles to funding this sector. Standard Bank is seeking more to business in the ‘organic’ market as a way of tip-toeing into the cannabis space. Read More Morocco’s Historic Moment as it Exports Landrace to the Pharma Industry for the First Time 23 April 2025 at 17:00:00 Morocco is Africa’s leading cannabis export nation having embarked on an ambitious legalizatio progamme that put small-scale farmers at its core. Now start up Cannaflex has successfully exported for the first time the famed Moroccan landrace, Beldia, to European pharmaceutical buyers Read More Cannabis Policy Paralysis is Scaring Off Investors and Eroding Consumer Trust 23 April 2025 at 13:30:00 The government’s inability to craft a meaningful framework for the development of a domestic cannabis industry is keeping investors away and eroding consumer trust. That’s the view of the former CE of the Tobacco Institute of SA, who says authorities urgently need to develop an integrated strategy for the industry to keep cannabis reform afloat. Read More E Cape Looks to ‘Blended’ Finance Model to ‘Derisk’ Legacy Cannabis Growers 23 April 2025 at 10:15:00 The Eastern Cape’s business model for supporting legacy growers is taking shape under the Agri-Blended Finance Scheme, which it has introduced as a general agricultural support mechanism in Mpondoland and other rural areas. Cannabis growers were among the 30 beneficiaries who received over R50 million from the first phase of a pilot project. Read More Five Red Flags That Should Alert Cannabis Investors to Scams 22 April 2025 at 13:00:00 Despite the lack of guiding regulations, the South African cannabis retail sector is booming – and attracting millions of rands of investment. Investors have climbed into the ‘grey zone’, despite the sale of cannabis being illegal – and many have been taken for a ride. If you’re looking to invest in any cannabis business, these are the five red flags you should look out for. Read More Tangled Webb of Woe: Detectives After Gauteng Cannabis Scam Artist for Skimming Investors 22 April 2025 at 11:30:00 A disgruntled investor has hired a private security company to try and track down 34 year old Christopher Webb, the man alleged to have scammed hundreds of thousands of rands off many people in a fake cannabis scheme involving South African farmers. Read More Half-Baked: Prospective Private Club Partnership Falls Apart in Crypto Fundraising Muddle 22 April 2025 at 10:15:00 Iconic Cape Town private cannabis club Baked has to repay a prospective partner R5,7 million after disagreement over a promised crypto-currency fund-raising deal that never materialized. Baked’s appeal against having to repay the funds has been dismissed by the Western Cape High Court. Read More Medigrow Investors Pause Funding for Eastern Cape Cannabis Project Because of Hemp Foodstuff Ban 16 April 2025 at 10:30:00 Medigrow’s international investors have pressed the pause button on further investment in the company’s R1 billion Eastern Cape cannabis project because of the lack of clarity over South Africa’s hemp policy. The company has been caught up in the aftermath of the now-rescinded hemp foodstuff ban and has halted operations while ‘sensitive negotiations’ are underway to seek resolution. Read More Major International Cannabis Conference Coming to SA: Overcoming Barriers and Developing Standards 16 April 2025 at 10:30:00 A major international conference on ‘Barriers to Entry’ in the cannabis industry is to take place in South Africa next month. The ASTM conference will also look at refining international standards on cannabis food and beverages. Deadline for registration is next week. Read More Buffalo Soldiers: Zambian Defence Force’s Cannabis Mission to Malawi 16 April 2025 at 09:00:00 The Zambian Defence Force National Service is the only entity in the country legally permitted to cultivate and sell industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis. It recently sent a delegation to Malawi on a cannabis fact-finding mission as it prepares to be a potential player in the African market. Read More CSIR tells President: All our Cannabis Foodstuff Products Have Always Been Legal 14 April 2025 at 09:45:00 The CSIR says it has incubated scores of small businesses to process and trade in cannabis-related foodstuffs and all have been within the guidelines laid down by SAHPRA and the Department of Agriculture. This emerged during the President’s tour of the CSIR’s cannabis research unit last week - which had its lighter moments! Read More Botswana to Establish ‘Central Cannabis Authority’ to Oversee Policy Implementation and Regulation 12 April 2025 at 12:00:00 Botswana is to establish a central institutional authority to oversee the roll-out of a planned medical and industrial cannabis strategy. This is one of the recommendations by the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture in a policy document drawn up for the Government and leaked to Cannabiz Africa. Read More Chic Power: Women Drive the Worldwide ‘Cannabis Wellness Revolution’ 11 April 2025 at 11:00:00 ‘Cannabis and wellness’ is a growing trend, and internationally, women are driving innovation and shaping this new market. They are seeking out products that fit into a healthier lifestyle and using them with more sophisticated intention. Read More Synergy’s Hodes: There’s No Regulatory Uncertainty Around Medical Cannabis and the Market is Growing 9 April 2025 at 20:00:00 Fast-growing Synergy Wellness is the headline sponsor for this year’s Cannabis Expo and will be using the event as a major drive to make people aware of the medical benefits of cannabis. Synergy director Jon Hodes (pictured here) believes health and wellness will be one of the most sustainable sectors of the new cannabis market and has structured the company’s business plan around this. Read More Main Networking Event of the Year: Cheeba Africa’s Industry Summit at Cannabis Expo 9 April 2025 at 18:30:00 Cheeba Africa has announced it will hold a two day ‘Cannabis and Hemp Summit’ at the Cannabis Expo to bring stakeholders together to network, upskill and develop their business concepts. It will also provide a forum for the industry to discuss how best to deal with Government in the imminent ‘stakeholder discussons’ on cannabis policy. Read More Cannabis Expo’s Howarth: ‘We’re Building the Highway Even if the Road Signs Aren’t Up Yet’ 9 April 2025 at 13:30:00 This year’s Cannabis Expo comes at a crucial time for the cannabis industry as the ‘grey zone’ consumer market explodes and Government says its ‘really willing’ to engage stakeholders on policy. It’s also been a tough time for players wanting to be legitimate, but that could all be changing. Expo CEO Silas Howarth (pictured here) shares his thoughts on putting together Africa’s biggest cannabis event and where the market is at. Read More Cannabis Expo Signs Up Synergy as Headline Sponsor, Gets Ready to Rock Sandton at the End of May 9 April 2025 at 13:15:00 Africa’s grandest cannabis show comes to town next month in the form of the Cannabis Expo. The three day celebration of cannabis culture and essential business networking will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre from 30 May to 1 June 2025. Thousands of people are expected to attend the Expo which will also see a ‘summit’ of industry stakeholders take place to discuss how to push cannabis reform forward. Read More Medical Research Council: Standardize THC Dosage Limits and Labelling Guidelines 8 April 2025 at 13:30:00 The SAMRC has called for standardized dosage regulations for THC edible products and appropriate labelling guidelines. It says legalization of cannabis carries risks for youngsters and with edibles consumption on the rise, authorities need to be increasingly conscious of consumer safety. Read More Khopotse: Now Ban is Behind Us, Let’s Use Hemp Foods to Tackle Malnutrition 8 April 2025 at 09:45:00 The chairman of the recently formed cannabis and hemp lobby group, SACHIDA says now is the time to develop hemp-based superfoods to tackle malnutrition. Katelga Khopotse says Government’s new attitude opens up the industrial cannabis value and that hemp can help feed the people. Read More Druids Taps Into Ancient Wisdom: Launches Biotika, Plant Medicine Booster Range 7 April 2025 at 14:15:00 Druids Garden, the SAHPRA-licensed Gauteng facility has been at the forefront of much of the innovation in South Africa’s cannabis industry. The latest fruit from its garden is Biotika, a range of plant-based energy boosters and health supplements that it bought to market last month. Cannabis Africa publisher Brett Hilton-Barber got the lowdown on the worldwide return to ancient medicines with Druids’ CEO Cian McLelland, who also shared his thoughts on the sorry state of SA cannabis reform. Read More Big Alcohol Wants to Be Tennessee’s Hemp Regulator: ‘It’s Like Asking the Malboro Man to Run a Yoga Studo’ 7 April 2025 at 11:00:00 Big Booze is nervous. Alcohol sales are dropping and cannabis consumption is rising. In the US, Tennessee Alcoholic Hemp Commission wants to be the regulator of the cannabis industry. Columnist Stephen Brown from Nothing But Hemp says this is a bad idea: a cannabinoid is not something you chase with lime and salt, and that maybe scientists should be in charge. Read More 'If SA Gets Cannabis Framework Right, It Could Be a Blueprint for BRICS+' 7 April 2025 at 09:00:00 An unlikely newcomer to the cannabis industry commentariat has just weighed in with the unlikely notion that if South Africa gets its policy framework right, it could serve as a blueprint for the BRICS+ group of nations. Independent media owner Dr Iqbal Surve, says cannabis could be a way of fostering new trade relationships outside traditional cannabis markets. Read More Stakeholder Pressure: Foodstuff Ban Sorted, Now Scrap the Drugs Act! 7 April 2025 at 07:00:00 Cannabis reform cannot proceed while cannabis is still defined as an illicit substance. That’s the view of activist lawyer, Charl Botha, who has written to President Ramaphosa, saying that his proposed stakeholder engagement will be hollow as long as the Drugs Act is in force. Read More Stellenbosch Researchers Squeeze Value Out of Waste in New Cannabis Extraction Breakthrough 5 April 2025 at 13:30:00 Stellenbosch University chemical engineers have developed a unique wax-based method of extraction that recovers valuable compounds that would otherwise be wasted. They say their methodology could make African cannabis exporters far more competitive on the global stage. Read More Political Pressure Forces Last-Minute Postponement of Botswana Hemp Conference 5 April 2025 at 11:30:00 Pressure from opposition political parties forced the last minute postponement of the Botswana Inaural Hemp Business Conferrence, which will now only take place in July. Read More Enua Riding Green Wave in Germany, Seeks SA Flower as Demand Surges 4 April 2025 at 10:00:00 Leading German cannabis company Enua is seeking South African cultivators to feed growing demand for medical cannabis in Europe. Enua’s managing partner , Albert Schwarzmeier was in the Cape recently cementing a supplier relationship with local partner Nexus. He’s told MJBiz how the German market has exceeded expectations. Read More Eight SAHPRA Cannabis Cultivators Lose Their Licenses 4 April 2025 at 08:45:00 Eight cannabis farming companies have lost their Section 22 cultivation licenses. This has been confirmed by SAHPRA, which says two were due to permanent facility closures, three were revoked and four were cancelled. Read More Stakeholder Input Meaningless Until Govt Sorts Out the ‘Three Ministry Muddle’ 2 April 2025 at 15:30:00 President Ramphosa’s bold move to shift stakeholder engagement to the centre of the cannabis policy debate has assuaged an industry injured by the flip-flop of the cannabis foodstuff. But unless Government sorts out its ‘three ministry muddle’ ahead of industry consultation, any good advice it receives will remain out in the vortex Read More Last Mover Advantage: Botswana Better Placed Than SA to Become Regional Hemp Powerhouse 2 April 2025 at 14:30:00 Botswana looks set to bypass the regulatory nightmare that has beset South Africa's industrial cannabis industry by putting in a set of rules for the game before it opens up the market. Neighbouring South Africa, by comparison, has found itself in a quandary where permits are being issued with no clear market guidelines yet in place. Read More Is Labat Starting to Exit the Cannabis Space? 31 March 2025 at 10:00:00 Labat Africa is moving rapidly into the IT space with a distribution deal with Ubits Technology, while it reviews the risks associated with its cannabis operations. The JSE listed group was one of the first movers in the South African cannabis space but now it appears to be on an exit strategy from the sector. Read More Minister’s Unbanning of Illegal Edibles Creates Wrong Impression That They’re Now Legal 30 March 2025 at 09:45:00 Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi’s clumsy attempt to protect consumers by banning cannabis-related foodstuffs continues to create market confusion even though the ban has been rescinded. There is a widespread perception among cannabis consumers that with the lifting of the ban, edibles are legal. They’re not, warns FGFA’s Myrtle Clarke (pictured here). Read More Health Minister ‘Not Disappointed’ That His Ban Was Lifted, Says President Understands His Safety Concerns 29 March 2025 at 10:00:00 The Health Minister was one of thousands of stakeholders who was ‘not disappointed’ by the lifting of his ban on cannabis-related foodstuffs. Dr Motsoaledi made this bizarre remark in an interview with News24, in which he emphasized that there was still an urgent need for regulation of such products in order to protect consumers. Read More Big Shape-Shift Underway: Justice Dept Now to Get Public Input Before Deciding on Regulations Governing Cannabis Act 28 March 2025 at 09:00:00 The public will be able to have its say on the long-awaited regulations governing the Cannabis Act before they are formalized by the Justice Department. This major shift in government’s approach to the private sector was almost thrown in an as an after-thought in Wednesday’s post-cabinet briefing, but, people, this is a bigger deal than it seems. Read More Cabinet Privately Reprimands Health Minister, Nips Department’s 'Grand Plan’ in the Bud 28 March 2025 at 07:45:00 It’s not clear exactly what the Health Department’s unilateral ‘grand plan’ for cannabis and foodstuffs was, but it has come crashing down before it got out the starting blocks. Cabinet is understood to have chastised the Health Minister for trying to go it alone and told him that stakeholder consultation is critical going forward. Read More UN Bans HHC or ‘Synthetic Cannabis’ for Worldwide Non-Medical Use 27 March 2025 at 07:00:00 South Africa voted along with 49 other nations to ban hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) at the UN Commission on Psychotropic Substances (CND) in Vienna earlier this month. HHC, which is synthetically derived and similar in effect to THC, has been widely available legally in many parts of the US and Europe. Read More Vayej: ‘The President’s Call to Lift ‘The Ban’ Is Pivotal to Moving Towards Industry Transparency’ 26 March 2025 at 20:00:00 Open Farms chairman Shaad Vayej says the President’s move to lift ‘The Ban’ signals a much needed shift towards as transparency and stakeholder engagement in formulating future policy. Read More Botswana Hosts Major Hemp Indaba to Chart Regulatory Way Forward 26 March 2025 at 19:30:00 Botswana will once again get a chance to showcase its bold vision to incorporate hemp into its economy when it hosts the Inaugural Hemp Business Summit in Gaborone on 5 April 2025. Read More Silverleaf’s Weisz: President’s Rapid Response Lifting The Ban Bodes Well, Let’s Give Enabling Legislation the Same Urgency 26 March 2025 at 17:00:00 The Director of South Africa’s first dedicated cannabis investment fund, Silverleaf Investments, Darryl Weisz (pictured here), says he didn't expect the President’s decisiveness in lifting the controversial cannabis in foodstuffs ban. He says the same urgency should be applied in following this through with enabling legislation to unlock the domestic cannabis market. Read More Stakeholder Pressure Gets The Ban Lifted, Now The Momentum Shifts to Getting Legislation Sorted 26 March 2025 at 17:00:00 It was overwhelming stakeholder pressure that pushed President Cyril Ramaphosa to act decisively in reversing his Health Minister’s horrific blanket ban on cannabis in foodstuffs. Can this energy be harnessed into getting Government to put a commercial framework on the table? Read More President Ramaphosa Orders Cannabis Foodstuff Ban to Be Lifted Immediately 25 March 2025 at 18:00:00 President Cyril Ramaphosa has instructed Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to withdraw the controversial ban on cannabis in foodstuffs with immediate effect. He’s also ordered the Minister to begin consultations with stakeholders before issuing any further notice on the matter. This is a statement from the Presidency. Read More Thanks to the Health Minister SA Now Has One of the Most Restrictive Food Policies in the World 25 March 2025 at 10:45:00 South Africa now has one of the most restrictive food policies in the world following the ban on hemp foodstuffs. Open Farms chairman and attorney, Shaad Vayej (pictured here), says government should be aligning with international best practice in developing the hemp sector, but has instead imposed “a backward-looking restriction that harms businesses, limits consumer access, and contradicts prior regulations.” Read More ‘He Needs to be Charged or Fired!’ CTAA Prepares Interdict, Says Health Minister has been ‘Criminally Negligent’ 25 March 2025 at 07:00:00 The push-back is gaining momentum as more cannabis stakeholders gear up for lawfare against the hemp foodstuff ban. The CTAA is to preparing to file an interdict against the Health Minister, saying his actions could be construed as criminally negligent, and “he needs to be charged or fired.” Read More Minister of Madness: “Absurd” Ban Puts Paid to Govt Funded Project to Develop Hemp-based ‘Superfood’ for School Feeding Schemes 24 March 2025 at 13:30:00 The DoH issued a research permit to Druids Garden to investigate nutrition in hemp. The project got traction and was funded by government entities and developed in collaboration with the CSIR and seven years later there’s an amazing hemp-based porridge perfect for school feeding schemes. What a great story…..except the self-same DoH has now banned it! Read More ‘Heartbreaking’ Policy Inertia and Public Stigma Holding Back Kenyan Hemp Sector 24 March 2025 at 09:00:00 Cannabis is still stuck in research mode in Kenya, despite Government promises to allow an industrial hemp sector to develop. One of the major problems is the stigma attached to cannabis, which stakeholders have suggested be countered with a public education campaign. Read More W Cape Slams 'The Ban' as a ‘Direct Assault on Economic Growth and Job Creation’ 24 March 2025 at 06:30:00 The Western Cape’s plan to develop a cannabis and hemp economy has been derailed by the Health Minister’s ‘ill-considered” blanket ban on cannabis in foodstuffs. Ivan Meyer, the province’s Agriculture MEC, says central government must move swiftly to reverse the ban before further damage is done. Read More The Ban: Here Comes the First Legal Challenge Along With Claims for Millions in Damages 23 March 2025 at 08:30:00 Hemp businessman Hennie Venter is leading the legal charge against the Health Minister with a court application to have the cannabis foodstuff ban overturned. He says he is bringing the action on behalf of all entrepreneurs who have seen their investments “go down in flames” because of the ban. Read More Zimbabwe’s 'Dr Zoey': The Region Should Harmonize Regulations And Market Itself as a Solid Bloc on World Markets 22 March 2025 at 13:15:00 Imagine a ‘Cannabis SADEC’ in which the member countries harmonized their regulatory criteria and worked as a solid bloc to market southern African medical and industrial cannabis to the world. That’s the vision of Zimbabwe’s leading cannabis change-maker, Dr Zorodzai Maroveke who says that would make a real difference Africa’s prospects of becoming a real player in the global game. Read More Ministers Run for Cover as Hemp Foodstuff Ban Turns Into a Political Issue and Heads for the Courts 22 March 2025 at 10:00:00 Two weeks after Dr Aaron Motsoaled’s shock ban on cannabis in foodstuff, the Health Minister has yet to make a public statement or explain the intentions behind his actions which have wreaked havoc beyond the hemp industry. Neither has the DTIC nor the Presidency said a word about the major policy blunder that has derailed the Cannabis Master Plan and now become a political issue. Read More PM Keichel Warns Foodstuff Ban is Binding Even Though It is Legally Flawed 22 March 2025 at 07:30:00 As absurd as the hemp foodstuff ban may be, it is legally binding until such time as the Minister rescinds it or it is set aside by a court. That's just how it is, says leading cannabis lawyer Paul Michael Keichel even though legal commentators have slammed the ban as 'unconstitutional', 'illogical' and 'unenforcable'. Read More Cannabis Master Plan Descends into ‘Omnishambles’ as Hemp Foodstuff Ban Reveals Serious Faultlines at Cabinet Level 19 March 2025 at 20:30:00 Seven years after Government unveiled the Cannabis Master Plan, the sad truth has been laid bare: “There is no commercialization policy, there is no economic or industrial strategy, there is no plan”. That’s the view of leading private sector cannabis consultant M Ayanda Bam, who says all the stakeholder engagement with government now seems to have been a waste of time. Read More Enua Signs 10 Ton Offtake Order With Nexus, Opening a New Door for SA Farmers to the Lucrative German Market 19 March 2025 at 16:00:00 Major German medical cannabis distributor Enua has expressed its confidence in the quality of South African export cannabis production and is seeking a long-term relationship with SAHPRA licensees through biomass processor Nexus. Read More Make Them Pay! Call for Govt Officials Responsible for the Hemp Foodstuff Ban to be Held Personally Liable for Damages 19 March 2025 at 10:00:00 As damages from the hemp foodstuff ban mount with no sign of the Health Ministry backing down, lawyers are being briefed to put together a court challenge. Industry anger is growing as millions of rand are being lost, and now there’s a call for responsible officials to be sued in their personal capacity. Read More Health Minster Had Already Decided on the Hemp Foodstuff Ban Before SONA, so Why Didn’t He Tell the President? 19 March 2025 at 08:00:00 Over 1 000 businesses and 400 SMME’s have been affected by the Health Minister’s ‘inexplicable’ ban on hemp foodstuffs and are bleeding millions of rand. The shock announcement has derailed the President’s cannabis vision and laid bare the policy rot at the core of the Cannabis Master Plan Read More DTIC: ‘Stop Dealing in Cannabis-Related Foodstuff Until Such Time as the Ban May Be Lifted’ 18 March 2025 at 18:30:00 The DTIC says although the ban on hemp foodstuffs does not fit in with the Cannabis Master Plan, the law is the law, and dealing in all such products “must cease”. It said it would engage with the Department of Health to relook at the ban but offered little solace to stakeholders who stand to lose millions of rand in the meantime. Read More Minister a ‘No Show’ for Hemp Webinar But Senior Health Official Says Stakeholder Concerns ‘Will Be Addressed’ 18 March 2025 at 15:00:00 Senior Health officials have started ‘walking back’ the controversial ban on hemp foodstuffs saying it’s part of a ‘regulatory process’ and that the Minister will ‘address the concerns raised’ by the hemp industry. Read More ‘Suspend the Ban, Let’s Talk Guidelines for Cannabis in Foodstuff’ 17 March 2025 at 06:30:00 Top Government officials are being drawn into the Health Department's ban on cannabis in foodstuffs. Lawyer Charl Botha has written to the President saying the ban is unconstitutional and should be suspended while proper regulatory guidelines are put in place. Read More Hemp Organization Suspicious of Motivation Behind Ban, Threatens Court Action 15 March 2025 at 11:00:00 Hemp activists are mobilizing resources to take on the Minister of Health’s surprise ban on cannabis in all foodstuffs. FOHSA says its prepared to challenge the ban in court as it is unconstitutional and is concerned about what the real reasons behind the restrictions are. Read More Cannabis-Infused Foods on the Rise Worldwide, Highlighting Need for International Guidelines 15 March 2025 at 10:00:00 There are undisputed therapeutic and nutritional benefits associated with cannabis-infused foodstuff and around the world consumer demand is rising for such products. However, there are no international guidelines protecting consumers and a framework needs to be put in place. Read More Health Dept Moves to Calm Industry Nerves: ‘Cannabis Food Ban is Start of Regulatory Process’ 15 March 2025 at 07:00:00 Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale says the recent sudden ban of cannabis in foodstuffs was done in the name of consumer safety. He hinted that the ban would not be permanent but the start of a regulatory process to assess cannabis products before they appear on shelves. Read More Health Minister Agrees to Face the Nation on Cannabis Foodstuff Ban 14 March 2025 at 12:45:00 Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has agreed to appear on a Cheeba emergency stakeholder webinar on the crisis facing the hemp industry following last week’s cannabis foodstuff ban. To date the Minister has not explained his reasons for the surprise ban but he’s expected to do so next Tuesday, 12h00 along with a range of other guests on the Webinar entitled, What the Hemp. REGISTER HERE Read More Food, Beverages and The Cannabis Ban: What the Law Says 14 March 2025 at 11:30:00 The cannabis and health food industry is still reeling from last week’s ban on cannabis in all food and beverages. The ban will be a hard hit for legitimate businesses in this sector, while the ‘grey zone’ will do as it always pleases. Brett Pollack from cannabis consultancy Harambe Solutions offers a legal perspective Read More SA Cannabis Reform Now Seriously Unravelling; Can DTIC’s New Team Fix the Mess Created by Other Departments? 18 March 2025 at 09:30:00 It’s been six months since the DTIC was given responsibility for the National Cannabis Master Plan and since then cannabis reform has fragmented and turned ugly. The Department is putting together a special team to tackle cannabis commercialization, but without effective leadership at the top, it's being tasked with ‘mission impossible’. Read More Business Owners Guide to Dealing with the Edibles Ban 12 March 2025 at 17:00:00 Here's a practical guide as to what the ban on cannabis in all foodstuffs means for the business owner. Read More Health Minister's Cannabis Foods Ban Unleashes a Chorus of Condemnation 12 March 2025 at 13:00:00 Health Minister Aaron Mostoaledi’s decision to ban cannabis in foodstuffs has revealed the deep policy faultlines running through Government and widespread condemnation from industry stakeholders. The ban threatens to derail the National Cannabis Masterplan and undermines the President’s commitment to developing the hemp industry. Read More Appeal to President: 'Retract the Ban on Cannabis in Foodstuff, It Could Kill the Hemp Industry 12 March 2025 at 09:45:00 Hemp seeds have been regularly available on South African shelves for four decades and are now outlawed under the Health Minister's surprise ban on cannabis in foodstuff. The ban is bad news for the hemp industry generally and Cheeba Cannabis Academy has written an open letter to President Ramaphosa urging him to immediately rescind the ban before further harm is done. Read More Applications Open: DTIC Seeks Project Manager for Cannabis Master Plan 12 March 2025 at 07:00:00 The DTIC has restructured and seeking a project manager for the National Cannabis Master Plan: You're Interested? Apply Here Read More Shock Announcement! Health Minister Suddenly Bans Cannabis in All Foods and Beverages! 11 March 2025 at 08:45:00 In an astounding regulatory development, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, has issued a notice banning the use of cannabis in foodstuffs. The announcement in the Government Gazette of 7 March 2025, has left cannabis stakeholders stunned, as this flies in the face of the Presidency’s cannabis vision and undermines the National Cannabis Master Plan. Read More JuicyFields Saga: Headspinning 'Scams Within Scams' and Now a Shadowy Link to the Russian 'Deep State' 7 March 2025 at 08:00:00 The first Juicyfields cases are likely to come before European courts this year as two new twists emerge in the scam that cost thousands of investors an estimated US$678 million. Journalists have found links to Russian ‘deep state’ involvement, and the lawyer bringing the investor class action against Juicyfields is suspected of being a scammer himself! Read More Labat Lowers Cannabis Exposure, Raises IT Profile with R25 million Deal to Acquire Software Importer Ahnamu 5 March 2025 at 19:00:00 Labat Africa has spent over R40 million buying into two IT companies in the last few months, signalling its intention to reduce its dependence on its cannabis business. While the board is reviewing the risks associated with Cannafrica, its biggest cannabis business, its pivoting purposefully into the infotech arena. Read More ECRDA's Perspective on the Mpondoland Hemp Seed Recall Row 5 March 2025 at 14:00:00 Response to the Cannabiz Africa News Article Entitled : “Medigrow Recalls Hemp Seed Distributed in Mpondoland, Says ECRDA to Blame for ‘Misunderstanding with Legacy Growers’ Read More ECRDA Says its Championing Local Landraces as it gets Caught in the Mpondoland Hemp War Crossfire 5 March 2025 at 13:30:00 The ECRDA says it’s committed to supporting legacy cannabis farmers and is in the process of registering local landrace seeds for commercial use. But it points out that its mandate is also to help hemp permit holders grow imported genetics and that it has to manage these competing dynamics. Read More Botswana Leverages Gaberone’s Twin City Status with Toronto to its Cannabis Advantage 4 March 2025 at 10:00:00 Botswana is the latest African country to partially legalize cannabis, and South African and Canadian stakeholders are getting in on the regulatory ground floor. Botswana hopes to use South African and Canadian expertise in getting a framework in place that will enable it to use cannabis to reduce its dependence on diamond exports, stimulate business and reduce unemployment. Read More Medigrow: 'We Are Fulfilling Our Obligations to Govt Not Forcing Hemp on Mpondoland' 26 February 2025 at 18:00:00 This is the full statement from Medigrow clarifying its relationships with Eastern Cape provincial government departments and Mpondoland cannabis farmers over the hemp issue Read More Medigrow Recalls Hemp Seed Distributed in Mpondoland, Saying ECRDA Should Carry the Can for ‘Misunderstanding’ 26 February 2025 at 15:00:00 Medigrow CEO Edgar Adams (pictured here) has moved swiftly to calm rising tensions over hemp in Mpondoland. The company has withdrawn the hemp seeds distributed to a select group of farmers and has met with the Mpondoland Cannabis Belt Association farmers to allay fears that their landraces were under threat. Read More Silence of the SOPAs: Not a Word from E Cape and Gauteng Premiers on Any 2025 Plan for Industrial Cannabis to Create Jobs 26 February 2025 at 11:15:00 The Eastern Cape Premier never misses an opportunity to promote cannabis development so why the mysterious silence on the subject during his SOPA? And Gauteng? Not even a SOPA whisper on how the country’s economic powerhouse intends to use industrial cannabis to uplift the poor and create jobs. Read More Cannabis Mission DRC: Cheeba to the Rescue to Fix Broken Hemp Project 26 February 2025 at 07:00:00 The DRC hasn’t featured much in the African legal cannabis landscape because the industry is going through the teething pains of developing an export market. A major industrial hemp project near Kinshasa ran into trouble with its first harvest and called in South African-based Cheeba Consultancy to help iron out the problems. Read More Nexus Cements Ties With German Investment Partners as it Brings Two Processing Faciities to Market 26 February 2025 at 06:00:00 Nexus Pharmaceuticals is consolidating its position in the cannabis ‘biomass’ processing space as its Gauteng facility nears completion and German investors jet in to formalize their relationship with the company. Read More What Sets Us Apart ? Cannabiz Africa is the leading B2B news platform for the continent's cannabis industry, connecting you directly with key stakeholders. With over 4,000 unique monthly users and a growing audience of 1,500 engaged Newsline subscribers, we provide unmatched visibility for your brand. Advertise with us today to reach the heart of the industry! Click here, to advertise your brand, product and or service