CANNABIS INDUSTRY BREAKING NEWS Kenya Should Have a Serious Discussion on Cannabis Legalization Now Election Dust is Settling The likes of presidential wannabe Professor George Wajackoyah should not be allowed to turn the legalisation debate into a political joke as incoming election results point to a tight race between Deputy President William Ruto and ex-Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Patrick Gathara for Al Jazeera 14 August 2022 at 07:00:00 Kenyan election campaigns have always thrown up their fair share of absurdities. The current one has been no different. In the course of it, we have learned that the electoral commission is bound to accept dubious documents from candidates for office because, the courts have ruled, it has no constitutional or legal mandate to verify their authenticity. We have also learned how the incumbent president, Uhuru Kenyatta, was a tool for others’ ambition. We already knew that he nearly aborted his 2013 run due to what he claimed were “dark forces”. Four years later, we are now told, him nearly being slapped by his estranged deputy, William Ruto, was responsible for his staying on after the Supreme Court had annulled his re-election . In fact, the Ruto near-slap apparently also terrorised others in Kenyatta’s cabinet, with the defence cabinet secretary claiming he and his counterpart at the interior ministry had also had a close brush with it. It is to be expected that once the elections are done and dusted, the outrageousness will die down somewhat and be forgotten. However, sometimes the craziness can open useful doors. Take the campaign of Professor George Wajackoyah for example. He has promised to make Kenya one of the richest countries in the world by exporting hyena testicles, snake venom and copious amounts of “ganja” (marijuana). The former policeman and intelligence agent under the brutal Moi dictatorship-turned academic has attracted 4 percent of would-be voters with promises to shorten the work week, suspend the constitution – arguing the United Kingdom is doing fine without one – appoint eight prime ministers, and carry out public hangings of the corrupt. Many suspect him to be a state plant meant to draw votes away from Ruto and help out the campaign of Kenyatta’s former rival turned BFF, Raila Odinga – he seems to be appealing mostly to the undecided. Whatever his intentions, Wajackoyah’s populist message regarding the legalisation of marijuana should be taken seriously as it opens the door to a more sensible public discussion of the country’s largely borrowed policy on drugs, which to date has been dominated by Bible-and-Quran-thumping religious types. Previous efforts to have the discussion around marijuana legalisation have gotten little traction. And while the number of countries in the region that have legalised the growing and export of cannabis – estimated globally to be worth about $70bn by 2028 – has increased, only four on the entire continent have okayed it for local medical use, let alone recreational consumption. It is ironic that Africa seems content to export a product that relieves pain to the rest of the world while denying it to Africans on the basis of outdated puritanical tropes imported from those very countries. It is worth remembering that the ban on marijuana and other psychotropic drugs did not originate on the continent. International drug control efforts can be traced back to the 1912 Hague Opium Convention that entered into force in 1919 and targeted opium, morphine, cocaine and heroin. Over the next half-century, a series of international agreements would expand the scope of the anti-drugs effort to include restrictions on cannabis (1925), synthetic narcotics (1948) and psychotropic substances (1971). Drug trafficking was made an international crime in 1936. Nearly no Africans took part in these decisions, as their countries existed as European colonial possessions at the time. Nearly half were still under colonial rule in March 1961 when the US initiated the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which sought to consolidate the various international agreements into one regime governing the global drugs trade, requiring controls over the cultivation of plants from which narcotics are derived, institutionalising prohibition and targets for abolishing traditional and quasi-medical uses of opium, coca and cannabis, and requiring countries to regulate not just production, manufacture and export, but also possession of drugs. This is despite the fact that crops like marijuana had been widely farmed and smoked on the continent before the disaster of colonisation. Having grown up in a strict, US-driven prohibitionist regime, many African regimes, including Kenya’s, have little inkling of, and care even less about, their history or the interests and desires of their people, preferring to mouth the learned wisdom of US puritanism. This is why Professor Wajackoyah, despite his antics and questionable motives, could be important. Already some in the political firmament are taking note of the support he is attracting and talking about decriminalising marijuana as a potent political issue. That suggests that, even after the election, there could be an opportunity to build on the momentum he has generated and to widen the conversation to cover all psychotropic drugs. There is one danger though, and it is significant. If he were to go too far with his clowning, that could taint the entire argument for legalisation and turn it into something of a political joke. Rather than take that risk, it might be better for more sensible heads in media and policy circles not to wait till after the election but to start expanding the conversation now and grounding it on a more secure footing. That would ensure Kenyans continue discussing legalisation long after Wajackoyah has become a curious footnote in the history of the 2022 election. ends Time Fast Running Out For Pres Ramaphosa to Sign. Cannabis Bill into Law Before May 29 Elections. Cannabis Bill one of 27 pieces of impending legislation sitting on the President's des. Read E Cape Bemoans The Phakisa’s Lack of Momentum; Intends to Turn Coega SEZ Into a Major Cannabis Hub and Partners With Medigrow to Raise R100m Investment Premier says "sandbox" plan will allow farmers to grow cannabis without licenses if they supply the Coega hub. Read South African Willem v d Merwe Among those Arrested for JuicyFields Scam: Also Faces Fraud Charges in Cape Town Over Missing Investor Cash About 200 South Africans were among the hundreds of thousands of investors who lost cash through JucyFields Read NEXT PREVIOUS Cannabis in South Africa: The People’s Plant We are a civil society organisation with the interests of the existing Cannabis industry and the Human Rights of ALL citizens at heart. WE’RE BRINGING A NEW STANDARD We are more than just a cannabis retail company. We are about a lifestyle that promotes vitality, balance & good health. Resources & Equipment Explore cannabis growing equipment for growing weed at home. Whether you’re just starting out, or you’re looking to enhance your outdoor or indoor weed grow setup – we have the perfect range of cannabis growing equipment to match your marijuana growing ambitions. ​ Find everything from LED grow lights, grow tents, fans, and hydroponic setups, to environmental equipment and controls, harvesting accessories, extraction equipment and plenty more. Design your ideal cannabis growing setup with high quality growing equipment available in South Africa. Explore cannabis growing equipment we’ve curated from reliable online suppliers in South Africa Explore More

Come Again? UK Cannabis Study at Risk Because Too Few Black People Want to Take Part! A major study into the effects of cannabis on the human brain is at risk of being partially thwarted because too few black users have agreed to take part. Robert Booth, Social Affairs Correspondent, The Guardian 23/10/02, 10:00 This report from the Guardian Online, 24 September 2023. White people have come forward in large numbers offering to get involved in King’s College London’s £2.5m study of how the drug may contribute to paranoia and psychosis in some users but not others. It is hoped the project will pave the way for wider medicinal use and make illegal recreational use safer. However attempts to recruit black and Asian people who smoke, vape or eat marijuana have been met with suspicion over how data about illegal drug use will be used and distrust of the establishment. There has been wider concern about representation of black and minority ethnic people in clinical research in the UK. A study last year into trials of Covid-19 vaccines and therapies found that, despite the disease’s disproportionate impact on ethnic minorities, they were repeatedly underrepresented. The “Cannabis and Me” trial team has spent 18 months trying to build a 3,000-strong cohort of cannabis users in the London area, including posting on cannabis-dealing hidden market Instagram accounts and advertising on YouTube. But they still need hundreds more black African and Caribbean and Asian people, who, in the words of one recruitment video, “are currently blazing” – slang for smoking marijuana. Dr Marta Di Forti, an internationally recognised expert in cannabis and psychosis, is leading the study and said it could pave the way for screening “that can make physicians in the UK and across the world more confident, where appropriate, in prescribing cannabis safely”. It could also allow people who want to keep using cannabis recreationally to check its potential long-term impact on their mental health. But William Gadsby-Smith, a marketing consultant leading the recruitment drive, said it had been one of the most difficult he has undertaken. “If you don’t trust the police because of years of racist and corrupt police practices you lump all of the establishment together and it can be easier to say no than yes,” he said. Attempts to interest the Voice, Britain’s leading black newspaper, in covering the research have so far failed, said Gadsby-Smith. This week, Unjust, a Brixton-based advocacy organisation that addresses racism in the legal system, said it was declining to help in the recruitment push. Its founding director, Katrina Ffrench, said what she saw as the project’s focus on cannabis and psychosis could result in “policymakers ignoring the harms of prohibition and furthering the criminalisation of black males”. She also said the project team had left it too late to approach Unjust and should have involved it at an earlier stage. “It feels very extractive,” she said. Four out of five people being treated for cannabis-induced psychosis at Di Forti’s clinic in south London are from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. Official data suggests cannabis use may be higher among black people than white and Asian people. In 2014, 14.3% of black men told a government survey they had used illicit drugs of any kind in the previous 12 months, compared with 11.8% of white men. Women from both ethnic groups were less likely to have used drugs but the differential was similar. The project is the largest of its kind ever undertaken with 2,200 marijuana users already signed up. By combining genetic data with socioeconomic information and psychological analysis, the academics hope to tease out links between a user’s biological makeup, their social circumstances, such as histories of trauma and underlying paranoia relating to gang membership, and the effect cannabis has on them. They will also look at how people take the drug and the strain they use. But if too few ethnic minority cannabis users take part Di Forti said: “We will end up with findings that only represent the white population and they won’t be generalisable to black British people who therefore won’t be able to benefit from any advances our study leads to.” The project attempts to build on the 1988 discovery that human bodies produce endocannabinoids. These neurotransmitters latch on to receptors throughout the human body to regulate mood, emotions, perception of pain and inflammation among other things. The active ingredients in cannabis – THC, which produces a psychoactive “high”, and CBD, which relaxes the body – operate on a similar mechanism. They can bind to the existing receptors and unlock similar biochemical processes that manage pain, inflammation and emotional responses. Di Forti and her team want to find out what determines people’s varying reactions to cannabis: why some become paranoid while others feel relaxed and happy. The hypothesis is that as well as social and other external factors, a person’s DNA may determine what happens when cannabis is metabolised and interacts with the existing cannabinoid receptors. About 2.5 million 16- to 59-year-olds used cannabis in the year to June 2022, making it the UK’s most popular illegal drug, official data suggests. In 2018, medicinal use of cannabis became legal in the UK with a doctor’s prescription, but remains highly restricted. Legalisation for recreational use, as has happened in more than half of US states, or decriminalisation, as in large parts of South America, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands does not appear imminent. It is opposed by Labour. The Conservative home secretary, Suella Braverman, wants to make cannabis a class A drug on a par with heroin. The Lib Dems, Green party and the Scottish National party want to decriminalise cannabis for personal use. Nyandeni Municipality Punts Cannabis as an Investment Opportunity to Ease Dreadful Poverty READ Thailand: Pro Cannabis Party Makes Better Than Expected Parliamentary Gains READ Portland, Oregon is the Most “Cannabis Friendly" City in the US; Birmingham, Alabama the Least READ Nigerian Journalists Fined for Conspiracy and Defamation After Investigation into Cannabis Use at Rice Factory READ UK Parliament Debates Medical Cannabis for the First Time READ INTERNATIONAL BREAKING NEWS PREVIOUS NEXT

Nyandeni Municipality Punts Cannabis as an Investment Opportunity to Ease Dreadful Poverty Explore More Thailand: Pro Cannabis Party Makes Better Than Expected Parliamentary Gains Explore More Portland, Oregon is the Most “Cannabis Friendly" City in the US; Birmingham, Alabama the Least Explore More PREVIOUS NEXT Ntsika Majiba, IOL News 23/04/06, 04:00 The Paarl-based botanicals manufacturer, in collaboration with the Cannabis Research Institute, has developed a new CBD extraction process. It is also looking at establishing a CBG processing facility in Canada. IOL reported on 1 April 2023 that Paarl-based Afriplex, which develops and manufactures botanical medicines, food and beverages, announced that it has developed a new innovative technology that is able to extract cannabidiol (CBD), a first for South Africa. Afriplex director Danie JC Nel, said that the Cannabis Research Institute of South Africa partnered in developing the new technology. “It is an extraction process combining solvent extraction, vacuum evaporation, dewaxing, fractionation and chromatographic separation to isolate various cannabinoids, including cannabidiol (CBD),” he said. Nel said that this technology would benefit the province by providing substantial employment and giving it an economic boost. “Afriplex is part of the Impilovest Group, covering the full cannabis value chain from cultivation, to processing and finalising finished products for export. It therefore impacts on creating employment in all the activities in the value chain. We expect at least 500 additional job opportunities within the Western Cape within the next five years. “This could obviously be more if we succeed in getting the government to create a conducive environment for conducting businesses with international customers. The Impilovest shareholders plan to invest more than R350 million in the Western Cape within the next five years. The existing cannabis growing facilities, the processing facility at Afriplex and clinical studies for chronic pain relief are all part of this. “We plan to establish a processing facility in Canada to produce another cannabinoid (CBG) , a similar facility as Afriplex in the Vaal SEZ (Special Economic Zone) and investment in technology for a new dosage form (WC). We are also actively involved in the development of technology to produce automotive parts from hemp fibre,” he said. Nel said that the government is controlling the regulatory environment and has the keys to unlocking such opportunities. “We are involved with a job creation fund valued at more than R100 million, all dependent on government approval. This fund will create more than 500 new jobs within a three year period nationally. This is over and above the 500 additional jobs planned by Impilovest,” he said. SOUTH AFRICAN CANNABIS INDUSTRY BREAKING NEWS Brought to you by: Afriplex Develops New CBD Extraction Technology, Plans Canadian Expansion Home African News South African News International News All News Marketplace Business News More All South African News Are Sponsored by: CHEEBA AFRICA Hydrobiz Support Locals Networking for your business Meet like minded people Advertise with us today Connecting People Opportunity for all Supporting Business Growth

Nyandeni Municipality Punts Cannabis as an Investment Opportunity to Ease Dreadful Poverty Explore More Thailand: Pro Cannabis Party Makes Better Than Expected Parliamentary Gains Explore More Portland, Oregon is the Most “Cannabis Friendly" City in the US; Birmingham, Alabama the Least Explore More PREVIOUS NEXT Cannabiz Africa 22/10/09, 10:00 Parks Tau and David Makhura were Gauteng’s cannabis champs. However, they’re now out in the political wilderness as a result of power plays within the Gauteng ANC. This is likely to delay the implementation of any kind of provincial cannabis master plan as politicians focus on the ANC leadership tussle and next year’s elections. Gauteng Agricutlure MEC Parks Tau, the main driver in the province’s cannabis industrialization strategy, has been axed from his position. He fell victim to ANC politics on Friday, 7 October 2022, when new Gauteng premier, Panyaza Lesufi replaced him with Mbali Hlophe who is now MEC for Social Development and Agriculture. Hlope, a Wits graduate, previously served as Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation. Tau follows former Gauteng Premier David Makhura to the door. Makhura and Tau were instrumental in Gauteng taking an initiative to create special economic zones (SEZ’s) where medical and industrial cannabis could be cultivated, processed and exported. It’s unclear at this stage what the new executives’ approach to cannabis will be, but whatever it is, don’t expect any fast action on the cannabis reform front. There is no apparent hemp or cannabis champion in the new provincial cabinet, which has less than 18 months to serve before the next elections. Lesufi’s priorities are elsewhere. On appointment he made a bold statement on the controversial e-tolls system, saying he wanted to have them scrapped. “The mandate of the new MEC for finance is to formulate a new revenue method that will be utilised to take the debt away from Sanral. His first mandate is to move quickly and scrap the e-tolls, we need that new revenue model” IOL quoted him as saying. https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/newly-elected-premier-lesufi-appoints-new-cabinet-a9026883-d392-4a34-8796-562cf211795f In agreement with the National Treasury and in accordance with relevant laws, another mandate was to be the first province to establish a state bank. This state bank would allow people to borrow money and fund township businesses. “We are going to buy medicine directly. The mandate is to establish a pharmaceutical company. We will buy medicine directly from the holders of those titles” said Lesufi. He said no hospital or clinic should be without medication. “The finance department is going to manage that.” He also has promised to fix Gauteng’s crumbling infrastructure and sort out Johannesburg’s water crisis, which means cannabis is going to slip quickly down the “to do” list, despite its job-creating, revenue generating potential. As it stands, Gauteng’s cannabis strategy is to develop the Vaal Triangle and West Rand as cannabis cultivation and processing hubs and to develop OR Tambo as a cannabis trade exchange. However, the establishment of SEZ’s is a time-consuming process as the framework exempts certain laws that would apply to the rest of the country. For instance, SEZ’s could operate outside the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act which criminalizes the commercial trade in cannabis and related products. With the ANC leadership contest coming up in December and elections due to be held next year, politicians are going to be more focused on acquiring power than worrying about implementing policy. Odds are that Gauteng cannabis reform has been set back by at least a year with the ousting of two key individuals who were personally committed to developing a provincial cannabis economy. # SOUTH AFRICAN CANNABIS INDUSTRY BREAKING NEWS Brought to you by: Gauteng Cannabis Reform Setback as ANC Politics Takes Out Two Key Players Home African News South African News International News All News Marketplace Business News More All South African News Are Sponsored by: CHEEBA AFRICA Hydrobiz Support Locals Networking for your business Meet like minded people Advertise with us today Connecting People Opportunity for all Supporting Business Growth

CANNABIS INDUSTRY BREAKING NEWS Thailand: Pro Cannabis Party Makes Better Than Expected Parliamentary Gains A pro-establishment Thai political party that championed the liberalisation of cannabis won more seats than predicted in the country’s elections on Sunday, 14 May 2023, boosting its ability to resist attempts by groups seeking to undo the landmark policy set barely a year ago. Patpicha Tanakasempipat for Bloomberg News 17 May 2023 at 12:00:00 Bloomberg News reports that the Bhumjaithai Party, headed by Anutin Charnvirakul, won 70 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives as it swept its home-turf of Buri Ram province and nearby constituencies, according to data from the Election Commission. That compares with as few as 12 seats projected by a Nation Group survey in early May and more than the 50 they won in the 2019 election. The better-than-projected performance by Bhumjaithai should help Anutin drive a bargain and thwart any attempt to roll back the legalisation of cannabis even against the backdrop of pro-democracy parties dominating the Sunday vote. Opposition parties Move Forward and Pheu Thai — which together won about 290 lower house seats — had earlier called to reclassify marijuana as a drug to curb recreational use. Bhumjaithai is set to win the third-most number of parliament seats in this election. Anutin, a former business tycoon who played kingmaker in the 2019 vote to help Prayuth Chan-Ocha lead a military-backed government, cast ballot on Sunday in Buri Ram wearing a shirt printed with bright green marijuana leaves. The politician, who headed the health ministry in Prayuth’s cabinet, has said he’ll only join a coalition that will back a cannabis bill that the party plans to resubmit in parliament. Legislators failed to pass the bill in an earlier sitting before the house was dissolved to pave way for the election. An ongoing regulatory vacuum, which emerged a year ago after Thailand decriminalised cannabis before passing the bill to regulate wider uses of the plant, has led to a mushrooming of over 4,500 dispensaries all over the country. # Time Fast Running Out For Pres Ramaphosa to Sign. Cannabis Bill into Law Before May 29 Elections. Cannabis Bill one of 27 pieces of impending legislation sitting on the President's des. Read E Cape Bemoans The Phakisa’s Lack of Momentum; Intends to Turn Coega SEZ Into a Major Cannabis Hub and Partners With Medigrow to Raise R100m Investment Premier says "sandbox" plan will allow farmers to grow cannabis without licenses if they supply the Coega hub. Read South African Willem v d Merwe Among those Arrested for JuicyFields Scam: Also Faces Fraud Charges in Cape Town Over Missing Investor Cash About 200 South Africans were among the hundreds of thousands of investors who lost cash through JucyFields Read NEXT PREVIOUS Cannabis in South Africa: The People’s Plant We are a civil society organisation with the interests of the existing Cannabis industry and the Human Rights of ALL citizens at heart. WE’RE BRINGING A NEW STANDARD We are more than just a cannabis retail company. We are about a lifestyle that promotes vitality, balance & good health. Resources & Equipment Explore cannabis growing equipment for growing weed at home. Whether you’re just starting out, or you’re looking to enhance your outdoor or indoor weed grow setup – we have the perfect range of cannabis growing equipment to match your marijuana growing ambitions. ​ Find everything from LED grow lights, grow tents, fans, and hydroponic setups, to environmental equipment and controls, harvesting accessories, extraction equipment and plenty more. Design your ideal cannabis growing setup with high quality growing equipment available in South Africa. Explore cannabis growing equipment we’ve curated from reliable online suppliers in South Africa Explore More

Nyandeni Municipality Punts Cannabis as an Investment Opportunity to Ease Dreadful Poverty Explore More Thailand: Pro Cannabis Party Makes Better Than Expected Parliamentary Gains Explore More Portland, Oregon is the Most “Cannabis Friendly" City in the US; Birmingham, Alabama the Least Explore More PREVIOUS NEXT Catherine Tomlinson for Spotlight 22/12/19, 07:00 SAHPRA says it’s overcome its capacity constraints, cleared its “regulatory backlog” of products needing registration and is relying less on Government funding to pay for its operational expenses. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) says it has made significant strides toward strengthening its capacity and fulfilling its mandate over the past year. In 2022, it received its first unqualified audit, cleared the backlog of regulatory applications inherited from the Medicines Control Council (MCC), and received strong validation of its effectiveness in regulating vaccines from the World Health Organization (WHO). Spotlight reports that the country’s regulator says a process is underway to review the Medicines and Related Substances Act to “assess whether legislative reform is needed to address ambiguities and align the Act with the current context and needs”. It has highlighted plans to further strengthen the organisation’s capacity over the next year by focusing on digitisation and recruiting more staff. SAHPRA has seen its allocation from Treasury decline in recent years. SAHPRA’s funding from Treasury fell from R183-million in the 2019/20 financial year to R146-million in 2021/22. It has been able to offset some of these losses by generating more fee income. Fee-generated income rose from R54-million in the 2019/20 financial year to R181-million in 2021/22. The regulator has repeatedly highlighted funding shortages as a key challenge to fulfilling its mandate. CEO Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela told members of Parliament in October 2022 that “while we were able to achieve what we have, it’s been a very challenging period for us from a financial perspective… we are in a country with a very tight fiscus, and, whilst that is the case, I think it is important that the regulator is adequately capacitated”. In October, SAHPRA CFO, Regardt Gouws, told parliamentarians that the 2021/22 financial year marked the first year that SAHPRA income raised through fees exceeded government grants. This year, SAHPRA also received its first unqualified audit – reflecting the regulator’s strengthened financial management and reporting systems. While the increase in fee revenue is a step in the right direction to ensuring that the regulator is properly financed, adequate government financing remains critical to ensuring that the regulator can carry out its mandate without undue influence from fee-paying companies. Funding shortfalls at the regulator have contributed to staffing shortages. SAHPRA told MPs in Parliament in October that more staff are needed for digitisation, quality management, regulatory inspections and pharmacovigilance. “At the MHRA [Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency] in the UK, the size of the team they have in the area of pharmacovigilance, is about 60 individuals. At SAHPRA, we only have five individuals in this area, and we know that the reports that we receive in terms of numbers are quite comparable. So, we are severely understaffed in this area,” said Semete-Makokotlela. According to SAHPRA’s 2021/22 annual report, only 265 out of 375 positions at SAHPRA are filled. Gouws explained to Parliament that 95 positions at SAHPRA remain unfunded and that filling these positions would require an additional R67-million in annual funding. In response to questions from Spotlight , SAHPRA indicated that progress has been made since the October presentation to Parliament and that only 25 positions now remain unfunded. SAHPRA indicated that funding has been secured to fill previously unfunded positions through fee-generated income, from the Global Fund (via the Department of Health), and through securing approval from National Treasury to run on a budget deficit based on prior accumulated revenue surpluses. SAHPRA also told Spotlight that funding has been secured from Germany’s development agency (GiZ GmBH) and the UK Department of International Trade to support its planned digitisation efforts, and that additional funding proposals for these efforts were going out. Another important development at SAHPRA, announced earlier this month, was the clearance of the regulatory backlog inherited from the MCC. When SAHPRA, took over from the MCC, it inherited around 16,000 regulatory applications dating back to 1992. SAHPRA, developed a plan and raised funding for a dedicated budget and staff to clear the inherited backlog. The backlog clearance project was launched in August 2019 and, on 2 December 2022, SAHPRA announced that the backlog had been fully cleared. Dr Nicholas Crisp, Deputy Director-General for National Health Insurance at the Department of Health, called clearance of the backlog “a milestone for SAHPRA”, while Stavros Nicolaou, chairperson of the Pharmaceutical Task Group (PTG), said the PTG “welcomes this development and congratulates the SAHPRA board and management in achieving the significant clearing of the registration backlog that has historically hampered the MCC”. The most exciting development at SAHPRA in 2022 was the achievement of a maturity level 3 ranking for vaccines regulation from the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO uses a ranking system ranging from one (the lowest) to four (the highest) to rank the maturity and effectiveness of health products regulatory organisations in meeting their mandates to ensure that health products are safe and effective. Following an initial 2021 and subsequent 2022 assessment of SAHPRA by the WHO, the regulator announced in October 2022 that it had received WHO maturity level 3 (ML3) ranking for vaccine regulation and maturity level 4 (ML4) status for vaccine lot release. Only five health product regulatory authorities on the African continent have received a maturity level 3 designation from the WHO. South Africa and Egypt have received this designation for vaccine regulation, while Ghana, Tanzania and Nigeria have achieved this status for medicine regulation. Only South Africa has received a maturity level 4 ranking for lot release, which involves evaluating batches of vaccines before they are released for use in the country. All batches of vaccines used in South Africa must be evaluated at the national control laboratory in Bloemfontein prior to their use. SAHPRA has also become more transparent and improved its communications in recent years, most notably with a searchable database of registered products, but here too, there remains some way to go, especially on the reasoning and evidence behind regulatory decisions. Much also remains to be done by the regulator to address areas for which regulatory systems must still be developed and strengthened, including complementary products and medical devices and addressing its organisational weaknesses (i.e. lacking digital systems and skills). # SOUTH AFRICAN CANNABIS INDUSTRY BREAKING NEWS Brought to you by: SAHPRA Cowboys Up: Clears Regulatory Backlog, Overcomes Funding Hurdles and Hires More Competent Staff Home African News South African News International News All News Marketplace Business News More All South African News Are Sponsored by: CHEEBA AFRICA Hydrobiz Support Locals Networking for your business Meet like minded people Advertise with us today Connecting People Opportunity for all Supporting Business Growth

RIP Raphael Mechoulam, the Father of Cannabis Research and the Man Who Discovered THC Professor Raphael Mechoulam, the Israeli researcher who is credited with first isolating the cannabis compound THC Tetrahydrocannabinol in 1964, has passed away peacefully at the age of 92. His work helped to broaden the scientific understanding of cannabis and the many compounds contained in the plant. 420 Intel 23/04/01, 07:00 “The father of cannabis” Raphael Mechoulam died in Jerusalem on 9 March 2023 according to American Friends of the Hebrew University. 420 Intel reports that among Professor Mechoulam's contributions to the field of marijuana studies was the first isolation of the psychoactive compound of the cannabis plant — tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. His work earned him the nickname "father of cannabis research." He was a "sharp-minded and charismatic pioneer," said Asher Cohen, the president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where Mechoulam had long served on the faculty. "Most of the human and scientific knowledge about cannabis was accumulated thanks to Prof. Mechoulam. He paved the way for groundbreaking studies and initiated scientific cooperation between researchers around the world," said Cohen. "This is a sad day for the academic community and for the university." Mechoulam was born in 1930 in Bulgaria. He immigrated to Israel in 1949, and soon pursued an education in chemistry. When Mechoulam entered the research field in the 1960s, morphine and cocaine had long been isolated from opium and coca, the plants in which the compounds naturally occur, Mechoulam said in a 2018 presentation at the university. But the same could not be said for marijuana, or hashish, which prevented academic study of the drug in chemistry or pharmacology labs. So, in 1962, Mechoulam and his research team, then at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, turned their focus to the drug right on the precipice of its explosion in popularity worldwide. (At first, his team acquired the marijuana needed for his research from the local police, he said.) Over the course of his career, marijuana grew in both popularity and in controversy as debates unfolded over the safety of the drug. In 1970, the U.S. declared marijuana a "controlled substance." But Mechoulam, who moved to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1972, continued his studies for decades. He worked to isolate and synthesize other compounds in the drug, as well as to demonstrate the potential for uses in the medical field — including to treat epilepsy and autoimmune diseases. And his work helped to show that, despite the controversy over its use in the second half of the 20th century, humans have been using cannabis for millennia. In 1993, he and his team published a study in the journal Nature analyzing the ashes found in the 4th-century Roman tomb of a young woman who had died while giving birth. "They obviously gave her something to ease the pain or to do something with the hemorrhage she was apparently undergoing. We thought that it might be cannabis," he told NPR in an interview that year. An analysis showed his hunch was correct, providing the first ever physical evidence of the drug's use in the ancient Middle East. "We have no doubts about it," he said. Cannabiz Africa is privileged that Professor Mechoulam was one of the first well-wishers of our online breaking news service for the African cannabis industry in October 2021! Nyandeni Municipality Punts Cannabis as an Investment Opportunity to Ease Dreadful Poverty READ Thailand: Pro Cannabis Party Makes Better Than Expected Parliamentary Gains READ Portland, Oregon is the Most “Cannabis Friendly" City in the US; Birmingham, Alabama the Least READ Nigerian Journalists Fined for Conspiracy and Defamation After Investigation into Cannabis Use at Rice Factory READ UK Parliament Debates Medical Cannabis for the First Time READ INTERNATIONAL BREAKING NEWS PREVIOUS NEXT

CANNABIS INDUSTRY BREAKING NEWS Russian Group Armita Energy Keen to Invest in Malawi Cannabis The Malawi Investment Forum recently held a promotional summit in South Africa in which cannabis was the centre of attraction. Among the potential investors arising out of the meetings is the Armita Energy Tech, a group of Russian companies seeking to diversify into the African cannabis market. Mike Van Kamande, Malawi 24 19 June 2023 at 10:00:00 Malawi’s Director General of the Cannabis Regulatory Authority says there’s keen interest from international investors in investing in Malawi cannabis, especially from South Africa and Russia. Speaking on the sidelines of the Malawi Investment Forum (MIF) summit at Emperor’s Park, Johannesburg, Gauteng on 25 May 2023, Ketulo Salipira said the CRA had been “bombarded with inquiries” and the purpose of the summit was to share information and provide a platform for cannabis investment in Malawi. Salipira had back to back meetings with a number of potential cannabis investors and said afterwards: “Malawi cannabis has a special place because of the climatic conditions that are favourable to the production of cannabis and the political stability apart from availability of human resource. We have serious investors and companies from Russia, South Africa among others who are ready to come and invest in Malawi.” One of the potential investors is Vadim Fedder of Armita Energy Tech Pty Limited said he was able to get information that he has been unable to get in two months within ten minutes of being at the MIF. “We are a group of companies in Russia looking for different opportunities especially in the cannabis industry and we have the capacity and technology to extract oils from cannabis with factories in Far East, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan among others. We will modernize the cannabis industry through mechanisation and work with small-scale farmers and cooperatives for a multimillion dollar investment,” he said. Secretary for President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba said Malawi was widely known as an agro-economy but it had the potential to be so much more and cannabis exports held huge value. “I would like to reiterate our commitment to our strategic and potential investment partners and implore you all to consider Malawi as your preferred investment destination,” she said. In his remarks, Trade and Industry minister Simplex Chithyola Banda said Malawi wass glad that its cannabis had attracted so many potential and serious investors as this would change the narrative of the industry in Malawi. Time Fast Running Out For Pres Ramaphosa to Sign. Cannabis Bill into Law Before May 29 Elections. Cannabis Bill one of 27 pieces of impending legislation sitting on the President's des. Read E Cape Bemoans The Phakisa’s Lack of Momentum; Intends to Turn Coega SEZ Into a Major Cannabis Hub and Partners With Medigrow to Raise R100m Investment Premier says "sandbox" plan will allow farmers to grow cannabis without licenses if they supply the Coega hub. Read South African Willem v d Merwe Among those Arrested for JuicyFields Scam: Also Faces Fraud Charges in Cape Town Over Missing Investor Cash About 200 South Africans were among the hundreds of thousands of investors who lost cash through JucyFields Read NEXT PREVIOUS Cannabis in South Africa: The People’s Plant We are a civil society organisation with the interests of the existing Cannabis industry and the Human Rights of ALL citizens at heart. WE’RE BRINGING A NEW STANDARD We are more than just a cannabis retail company. We are about a lifestyle that promotes vitality, balance & good health. Resources & Equipment Explore cannabis growing equipment for growing weed at home. Whether you’re just starting out, or you’re looking to enhance your outdoor or indoor weed grow setup – we have the perfect range of cannabis growing equipment to match your marijuana growing ambitions. ​ Find everything from LED grow lights, grow tents, fans, and hydroponic setups, to environmental equipment and controls, harvesting accessories, extraction equipment and plenty more. Design your ideal cannabis growing setup with high quality growing equipment available in South Africa. Explore cannabis growing equipment we’ve curated from reliable online suppliers in South Africa Explore More

Nyandeni Municipality Punts Cannabis as an Investment Opportunity to Ease Dreadful Poverty Explore More Thailand: Pro Cannabis Party Makes Better Than Expected Parliamentary Gains Explore More Portland, Oregon is the Most “Cannabis Friendly" City in the US; Birmingham, Alabama the Least Explore More PREVIOUS NEXT Ivor Price for Ventureburn 23/05/18, 06:00 Leading cannabis skills and education company Cheeba Africa has done a deal with one of its former students to launch a cannabis and hemp training facility in Midrand. This article first appeared in Ventureburn on 12 May 2023 In the fast-evolving world of entrepreneurship, cannabis and hemp have emerged as promising sectors, offering lucrative business opportunities. Recognising the immense potential of these industries, Cheeba Cannabis Training, Africa’s leading cannabis and hemp educator, has joined forces with Training Force to equip entrepreneurs with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in this burgeoning field. The partnership between Cheeba Cannabis Training and Training Force is set to revolutionise the African cannabis and hemp industry by expanding training opportunities and fostering entrepreneurship. Through this collaboration, learners will gain access to a network of over 45 Training Force sites across the continent, in addition to Cheeba’s seven official cannabis and hemp training centres. This joint effort aims to deliver high-quality training programmes that educate individuals on the practicalities, benefits, uses, and regulations surrounding cannabis and hemp, while also creating employment prospects. The global cannabis market has experienced an unprecedented boom in recent years, and South Africa is no exception. According to Polaris Market Research, the global industrial hemp market was valued at $4.26 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 16.9% by 2030. And with Africa boasting about 200 million hectares of uncultivated land, the continent is poised to become a leading player in hemp cultivation and processing. In South Africa, the cannabis industry holds significant promise for economic growth. The legalisation of cannabis for personal and private use has paved the way for a thriving market. Entrepreneurs are capitalising on the expanding consumer demand for cannabis products, ranging from medicinal applications to lifestyle and wellness offerings. The need for well-trained professionals and entrepreneurs in this sector is paramount to ensure responsible and sustainable growth. “Establishing a robust regulatory system is of utmost importance,” said Mayanda Bam, a renowned consultant from BCubed Consulting Friends of Hemp and an ardent activist for cannabis reform, during the partnership celebration event held at the Cheeba Cannabis Training Centre in Midrand, Gauteng. His inspiring talk shed light on the pressing need for regulatory reform and the establishment of a commercial framework that ensures the responsible and safe cultivation, distribution, and consumption of cannabis. Daniel Orelowitz, managing director of Training Force, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, recognising its significance in propelling the hemp industry forward in Africa. He said, “We aim to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in this exciting and rapidly growing industry which will play a significant role in job creation.” Meanwhile, Linda Siboto, co-founder of Cheeba Cannabis Training, emphasised the importance of this partnership in broadening their reach and providing access to hemp education across the continent. “The collaboration with Training Force will allow us to broaden our reach and provide access to hemp education for individuals across the continent to support job creation and SMME development. We look forward to leveraging Training Force’s vast network of training sites and infrastructure to achieve this,” he said. As part of their commitment to delivering industry-aligned training, the partnership will initially offer SETA-aligned NQF Level 2 and 4 programmes covering topics such as “How to start a hemp business,” “Hemp cultivation and processing,” and Africa’s first accredited hempcrete building course in partnership with Afrimathemp. Accredited by the SA Council for Architectural Profession and the Engineering Council of SA, these programmes will provide learners with the necessary skills to excel in their entrepreneurial pursuits. The collaboration between Cheeba Cannabis Training and Training Force comes at a pivotal moment in Africa’s cannabis and hemp industry. As entrepreneurs and policymakers work together to establish a robust regulatory framework, the stage is set for a progressive and thriving future. Through quality education and training, individuals will be equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate the evolving landscape of the cannabis and hemp sectors. As the demand for cannabis and hemp products continues to rise globally, South Africa is positioning itself as a key player in this burgeoning market. The collaboration between Cheeba Cannabis Training and Training Force is said to align with the country’s vision for economic development and entrepreneurship, creating new avenues for job creation and stimulating small and medium-sized enterprises. # SOUTH AFRICAN CANNABIS INDUSTRY BREAKING NEWS Brought to you by: New Skills Partnership as Cheeba, Vital Veggie and Training Force Set Up Cannabis Academy in Midrand Home African News South African News International News All News Marketplace Business News More All South African News Are Sponsored by: CHEEBA AFRICA Hydrobiz Support Locals Networking for your business Meet like minded people Advertise with us today Connecting People Opportunity for all Supporting Business Growth

Nyandeni Municipality Punts Cannabis as an Investment Opportunity to Ease Dreadful Poverty Explore More Thailand: Pro Cannabis Party Makes Better Than Expected Parliamentary Gains Explore More Portland, Oregon is the Most “Cannabis Friendly" City in the US; Birmingham, Alabama the Least Explore More PREVIOUS NEXT Brett Hilton-Barber 22/12/09, 07:00 Labour Court judge’s remarks fly in the face of fact, as ignorance rules the day at arbitration meeting over cannabis dismissals. A lot of ignorance about cannabis was bandied around the Johannesburg Labour Court recently, with one of the most alarming displays coming from Judge Connie Prinsloo, who in a ruling, said that THC, unlike alcohol, could remain in the body for weeks. Therefore, it could be automatically assumed because of cannabis’s “intoxicating nature” that one was automatically impaired for the duration! This is loose thinking and could affect a lot of innocent people, particularly in light of the recent survey in which 37% of cannabis users admitted to having consumed at work. And at the heart of the ongoing confusion surrounding the debate around cannabis at the workplace is that it still remains defined as a “undesirable, dependence-producing substance” scheduled in the Drugs and Drugs Trafficking Act. This is despite Government’s stated aim to amend the Act to exclude cannabis. Courts have no alternative but to rely on existing legislation for their rulings, and thus, the State has used the Drugs Act in opposing private cannabis clubs and in all criminal prosecutions relating to cannabis. In short, Government hasn’t made up its mind as to what cannabis actually is, and people making decisions on cannabis-related law or policy, are largely alarmingly ignorant. Government schizophrenia is evident in the cannabis cluster of ministries: Health believes cannabis is purely a medicine and must be regulated as a potentially dangerous substance, and ideally be an export-only commodity Agriculture says it should be classified as an agricultural crop that can generate jobs and alleviate rural poverty; Trade says it’s a commodity that’s already an economic reality and that to legalize it would kickstart township economies and bring revenue to the fiscus. Justice believes it is an undesirable substance that may only be consumed in the privacy of one’s own home; and for the foreseeable future will vehemently oppose any form of commercial trade in cannabis products. And the President believes it it's a plant that can generate jobs and drive post-Covid economic growth, In reality, the President has been completely ineffective in getting his cannabis vision off the ground, cementing the popular perception that under the current Government, nobody is actually in charge. His cannabis advisor, Garth Strachan, has struggled to get the Justice Department on board to even start aligning policy while anti-cannabis laws are being steamrolled through Parliament. So, who can blame the public for being confused if there is such chaos upstairs? But back to Judge Prinsloo. In her ruling at the Johannesburg Labour Court on 1 December 2022, she upheld Springs glass factory PFG’s rights to dismiss two employees who had tested positive for cannabis at work. She said that despite the 2018 Constitutional Court ruling that allowed adults the right to consume cannabis in private, cannabis was still declared a narcotic by the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act and therefore a company was entitled to have a zero-tolerance approach towards alcohol and drugs. As long as employees were aware of this, testing positive for substances could lead to dismissal. However, she strayed far off evidence-based thinking in her ruling in Paragraph 80: “The court noted a difference between the effects of alcohol and cannabis and held that there is no question that, unlike alcohol which leaves an individual’s bloodstream within a few hours after consumption, cannabis may remain present in an individual’s system for a number of days or up to weeks and that tests for cannabis do not demonstrate the degree of impairment of the employee’s ability to perform her or his duties. Unlike alcohol, one cannot determine a level of impairment based on test results. Proof of impairment is therefore not required as with alcohol, it is automatically assumed that one is under the influence of cannabis due to its intoxicating nature”. In other words Judge Prinsloo is saying that as long as one has THC in one’s system, one is “intoxicated”. She based part of her ruling on the evidence of the company’s occupational health nurse, a Ms Samson, “who conducted the multi-drug tests and said the outcome was that both tested positive in a for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is a derivative of dagga, or as Ms Samson explained, the scientific name for it”. To quote Judge Prinsloo: “In cross-examination, the Constitutional Court judgment was canvassed with Ms Samson and she was asked whether she still regarded dagga as a drug. Ms Samson explained that dagga was a mind-altering substance. Ms Samson confirmed that dagga can be used in a private space, but at the Respondent’s workplace, the Occupational Health and Safety Act applies and it clearly states that an employee cannot be under the influence of alcohol or a substance. The workplace is dangerous and if employees are under the influence of a substance that alters their minds, it is even more dangerous and it poses a safety risk. The Johannesburg Labour Court proceedings make it clear that cannabis is still seen as a dangerous drug. Although it’s clear that any company is completely entitled not to have a stoned forklift truck driver careering around a factory, there is a fundamental problem with the ruling being based on testing positive for THC and not on impairment. It's well known that traces of cannabis can last for weeks after ingestion. Judge Prinsloo acknowledged in her ruling that the dismissed employee at PFG, Nkosinathi Nhlabathi, stated that he was not aware that if he was found to have dagga in his system, it would constitute misconduct. “He disputed that he contravened the policy because he did not use drugs, but had used dagga three days before he reported for work. According to Mr Nhlabathi, dagga is not a drug and he explained that he was employed in 2016 and since he was employed, he had been smoking dagga and had been doing his job properly. Whatever he did with dagga, he did it at home and not when he was at work.” However, she rejected this argument on the fallacy that to have traces of THC in one’s blood automatically means one is impaired. At the end of the day, this was a fundamentally flawed ruling that has no basis in science, with absolutely no justice for the two dismissed employees, who were not stoned at work and were not impaired from doing their jobs. # SOUTH AFRICAN CANNABIS INDUSTRY BREAKING NEWS Brought to you by: Judge Prinsloo Says As Long As You Have THC in Your System “You Are Intoxicated”! Home African News South African News International News All News Marketplace Business News More All South African News Are Sponsored by: CHEEBA AFRICA Hydrobiz Support Locals Networking for your business Meet like minded people Advertise with us today Connecting People Opportunity for all Supporting Business Growth

US Cannabis Market: What Went Right, What Went Wrong, What Went Sideways in the Last Year The US cannabis industry experienced a wealth of both highs and lows in the last 12 months, and heading into 2023, several experts agree it is poised for both more growth and painful contraction. Here is 420 Intel's reflection on what happened in the US cannabis industry in the last year. 420 Intel 23/01/09, 09:00 This report from 420 Intel What Went Right Maryland and Missouri legalized adult use. These two states were the only ones out of five ballot measures in November to succeed with voters, but they bring the new tally of U.S. states that have legalized adult-use cannabis to 21, along with Washington, D.C. and two U.S. territories: Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. The victories were another reminder of the overwhelming popular sentiment in favor of liberalizing marijuana laws, and according to the Marijuana Policy Project, it’s the sixth straight national election that’s held at least one statewide victory for cannabis reform. Six new U.S. state recreational cannabis markets launched. In chronological order: Montana launched its recreational market on New Year’s Day 2022; New Mexico followed on 1 April; New Jersey was close behind on 21 April; Vermont joined the adult-use sales crowd on 1 October; Rhode Island launched on 1 December New York is bringing up the rear, with its launch on 29 December That’s a huge amount of new business opportunities and markets for the industry to develop in coming years, particularly on the East Coast. President Joe Biden launches rescheduling review. When the U.S. commander in chief issued an order in October to pardon nonviolent federal cannabis convictions, he also kicked off a lengthy process that very well may result in the legalization of marijuana. The problem is, nobody really knows how long the process may take. What’s also unclear is if the administration will choose to move cannabis from its spot on the Schedule 1 list of federally controlled substances to Schedule 2, down to the least restrictive category of Schedule 5, or remove it from the list altogether. Some political observers believe it only makes sense for the administration to issue a decision before the 2024 election, meaning that marijuana could be legalized in the U.S. within another two years. Congress passes medical marijuana research bill. Speaking of the federal government, the one piece of cannabis legislation did manage to get through Congress this year and signed into law – the first pro-cannabis bill to make it that far since the plant was banned under President Richard Nixon. The Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Act was signed by Biden the first week of December 2022. Though many stakeholders derided it as a symbolic victory since cannabis bills of far greater consequence died without hearings, the bill’s success irrefutably represents solid progress for the legalization movement. What Went Wrong Every other congressional cannabis bill died. At the end of the year, a lot of industry insiders were still bullish on the chances of the SAFE Banking Act, but it was all for naught in the end, as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was able to withhold key GOP support for including the measure in an omnibus spending bill. Another much-touted bill, the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, never even received a hearing, despite being sponsored – and hyped for months – by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Now, given that Republicans are taking over the House of Representatives next month, the chances of getting a similar legalization bill through both chambers have shrunken considerably. In addition, despite the Democratic-controlled House approving the MORE Act once again, the Senate sidelined the bill and it never got a vote or a hearing. Ballot measure defeats in three states. The cannabis movement suffered the largest number of statewide defeats in a decade in 2022, with voters in Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota rejecting proposals to legalize adult-use marijuana. Though there were electoral losses previously, the vast majority of statewide ballot measures to legalize either medical or recreational marijuana have succeeded since 2012, when Colorado and Washington State became the first two to legalize adult use. The South Dakota defeat in particular was a bitter pill for supporters to swallow, because the state voted to legalize recreational in 2020, but the victory was thrown out after a lawsuit backed by Gov. Kristi Noem succeeded in overturning the results based on a technicality. Wholesale prices trending down. The commoditization of marijuana seems to have accelerated through 2022. Wholesale prices hit a national bottom of $955 per pound in December, according to Cannabis Benchmarks, a drop of 26% for the year. Though the firm forecasts a slight rebound in early 2023, the pain felt by much of the supply chain isn’t likely to dissipate any time soon, and a lot of companies struggled to adjust through the year. Widespread layoffs. The cannabis industry as a whole seemed to feel a good bit of pain through 2022, with both plant-touching and ancillary companies cutting costs and, in many instances, staff. Businesses that reported significant layoffs this year included: New York-based LeafLink, which shed 80 workers in December 2022. California testing lab Sonoma Labworks, which closed down and laid off about 25 employees. Massachusetts-based Curaleaf, which laid off 220 employees in November 2022. Florida-based Trulieve, which laid off an unknown number of workers in November 2022. California-based Weedmaps, which had two rounds of layoffs this year, first letting go about 60 employees in August, and then another 175 in December 2022. California retailer The Parent Company, which cut about 33% of its staff throughout the course of the year. Seattle-based Leafly laid off 21% of its staff in the third quarter of 2022. What Went Sideways New York adult-use launch. Although New York is set to make good on its pledge earlier this year of getting recreational cannabis sales going before the end of the year, the process has been a hair-pulling one and the future of the licensing program remains up in the air, particularly because of a lawsuit that is trying to overturn a residency requirement for permit holders. The case has already put the issuance of at least 18 retail licenses on hold indefinitely, as the state tries to combat the lawsuit. In addition, there’s been a lack of clarity for many of the 36 retail license recipients on when or how they’ll benefit from the promised $200 million in funding to build out their shops. As of the Dec. 21 Cannabis Control Board meeting, there was no news of any specific licensees receiving funding or a shop location from state authorities, although there was an announcement that the first such shop will be located in Harlem. The situation has forced regulators to pivot hard, and even though sales will launch Dec. 29, it’ll be just a single retailer who is slated to begin sales, a far cry from the minimum 175 retail licenses the state has planned. California tax reform. In June, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a state budget that included, on its face, something the state’s marijuana industry had been clamoring for: state tax relief. The bill eliminated the weight-based cannabis cultivation tax, and made other significant structural changes to how the 15% excise tax is collected. It was arguably a major industry victory and hailed as such by the Newsom administration. But in the months since, cannabis industry insiders have said the real-world relief has been minimal, and some are worried about a potential excise tax increase because of marijuana tax revenue shortfalls to state coffers, as well as the possibility that lawmakers could raise the excise tax rate in 2025. Inflationary impacts. Inflation hit the cannabis industry hard, with impacts that ranged from shrinking consumer spending — which translated to plateauing or dipping sales in mature U.S. state markets — as well as downward trends for company valuations. Those factors in turn led to price compression on the wholesale market, hesitancy by many investors, and a number of busted merger and acquisition deals that may have otherwise gone through, said several industry experts while linking multiple industry trends together. The situation also presents opportunity, said Chicago Atlantic Vice President Steve Ernest, noting that bear markets are often when the most shrewd investors start putting money on the table, betting on a long-term rebound. And the financial markets are so tight – with cannabis stocks and valuations at some of their lowest points ever – that there’s nowhere to go but up. “There’s only upside from here,” Ernest said. “I’m very bullish on the long-term prospects of cannabis. There’s an immense amount of opportunity ahead.” Investor sentiment and activity. The year was a mixed bag on the investment activity front for the cannabis industry, with insiders reporting both ongoing deal closures and interest from individual investors, but also more wait-and-see-with-bated-breath attitudes from institutional capital. President Biden’s rescheduling review announcement on 6 October 2022 resulted in cannabis stocks jumping by double digits, noted Matt Bottomley, managing director at Canaccord Genuity. “If we’re talking about cannabis-focused investors, there’s certainly capital waiting to be deployed, and you saw it with all these types of federal headlines, in terms of how the markets reacted,” Bottomley said. “When Joe Biden made that tweet a few months ago, the entire sector in terms of inter-days highs and lows, had a 50% swing, in one day. This isn’t one company. This is the entire sector of all public company equity.” The main takeaway from 2022? “If you’re not concerned with the stock market or specific timing, I think that everything is moving in the right direction,” Bottomley said. “Whether that’s legalization or de-scheduling, I think it’s all but a certainty to happen.” # Nyandeni Municipality Punts Cannabis as an Investment Opportunity to Ease Dreadful Poverty READ Thailand: Pro Cannabis Party Makes Better Than Expected Parliamentary Gains READ Portland, Oregon is the Most “Cannabis Friendly" City in the US; Birmingham, Alabama the Least READ Nigerian Journalists Fined for Conspiracy and Defamation After Investigation into Cannabis Use at Rice Factory READ UK Parliament Debates Medical Cannabis for the First Time READ INTERNATIONAL BREAKING NEWS PREVIOUS NEXT

Nyandeni Municipality Punts Cannabis as an Investment Opportunity to Ease Dreadful Poverty Explore More Thailand: Pro Cannabis Party Makes Better Than Expected Parliamentary Gains Explore More Portland, Oregon is the Most “Cannabis Friendly" City in the US; Birmingham, Alabama the Least Explore More PREVIOUS NEXT Paul-Michael Keichal 23/12/20, 10:00 Cullinan and Associates’ leading cannabis lawyer Paul-Michael Keichal sums up the bewildering status quo of South Africa’s cannabis industry from a legal perspective. This article first appeared on News 24 on 24 November 2023. This is a layperson's guide to South Africa's cannabis laws. We are presently in a state of flux, so it is important to know from where we came, where we are, and where we are headed, lest we fall technically foul of something and unintentionally find ourselves in trouble. Before 2018, South Africa's Drugs Act criminalised the possession and dealing of cannabis (defined in that act as "the whole plant or any portion or product thereof") unless dealing was done in terms of license under the Medicines Act and strictly for medicinal and/or research purposes. In 2018, the Constitutional Court came to the assistance of Rastafarian leader Gareth Prince and others, and decriminalised (without upper limits) the personal and private cultivation, possession and use of cannabis by adults (the Prince Judgment). Haze club case The court mandated Parliament to formulate and enact responsive laws and regulations within 24 months, or the legal regime created by the Prince Judgment would become final (as it now is). The protections afforded to adults were later extended to children (not to encourage cannabis use by them, but in recognition that punishing them criminally for their poor decisions does more harm than it prevents). Post the Prince Judgment, and based on a legal interpretation of it, numerous "private grow clubs" started operating, but raids, arrests and intended prosecutions revealed that our enforcement authorities do not consider them to be legal. The Haze Club case will come before the Supreme Court of Appeal in 2024. If enforcement authorities do not capitulate before then (presumably on the basis of appreciating that an adult cannabis use industry may soon be permissible anyway), the anticipated judgment will tell us whether or not individuals, who are permitted to cultivate their own cannabis privately, may also/instead join a private club, lease private space from a club operator and pay bespoke horticulturists to grow their cannabis for them (better than they can do themselves). In the meantime, health authorities have been issuing cultivation, distribution and export licences for cannabis, but there has not been a legal route to market for cannabis within South Africa, largely because authorities have not registered any cannabis-based medicines or put in place a legal mechanism to obtain "medical cannabis" (whatever that may be, although certainly a matter of much debate). Some have exploited what they think is a loophole in Section 21 of the Medicines Act (what is supposed to be an exceptional mechanism for extremely sick people to get hands-on remedies that are not locally available) to call raw cannabis flower "unregistered medicine" and get authorisation to "dispense" it to tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of "patients" all around the country for all manner of petty/fictional ailments. Whether these so-called script mills (which might bend the Medicines Act to a breaking point) survive into the future as a matter of policy (and established/necessary pharmaceutical standards) is yet to be seen. Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill Agricultural authorities have also been issuing hemp permits off the back of what the schedules to the Medicines Act say cannabis is not. It is doubtful that this satisfies the exception to the criminal prohibition on dealing in the Drugs Act, or is otherwise lawful, but that does not matter for present purposes because our enforcement authorities have seemingly turned a de facto blind eye to this (I'd say appropriately, given that hemp" is not a menace to be fought against). Responsive to the 2018 Prince Judgment, the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill (CfPPB) was introduced in 2020 and has been through numerous rounds of public comments and responsive amendments. The National Assembly has now approved it and rests with the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). READ | OPINION: Weed love some help: Why SA's medicinal cannabis sector needs competition regulation It would be speculation to predict whether or not additional amendments will be forthcoming through the NCOP. However, if/when the bill is approved by the NCOP, the president may sign it into law with or without first checking with the Constitutional Court that it passes muster. When the CfPPB becomes law (an act of Parliament) – presuming that it looks mostly as it does presently – it will (materially, for present purposes): Redefine "cannabis" as (essentially) only the psychoactive components of the plant (effectively excluding hemp); Entirely remove reference to cannabis from the Drugs Act (meaning that cannabis crimes in terms of that act fall away); and Create fresh criminal offences for cultivating/possessing/transporting what regulations will say is too much cannabis, dealing in cannabis, and providing cannabis to a child (unless prescribed by a medical practitioner). Vitally, one will not have committed a crime in terms of the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act (as it will then be, if assented to by the president) if what one does (otherwise as prohibited by the act) is in accordance with a license or permit issued in terms of the Act itself or other legislation – so one already sees the iterative opening up of a cannabis industry foreshadowed by the current draft. It is the sincere hope/intention that this will serve the neediest – not greediest – in our society. That said, a bespoke act of Parliament dealing with a cannabis industry (much like the Tobacco Act or Liquor Act ) would be infinitely preferable to using acts of Parliament that aren't fit for purpose (although, perhaps some interim accommodations will be made while the bureaucratic wheels slowly turn so that we do not wait too much longer to start unlocking the economic potential of cannabis trade). # SOUTH AFRICAN CANNABIS INDUSTRY BREAKING NEWS Brought to you by: PM Keichel’s Reality Check on the Law and SA's Cannabis Industry Home African News South African News International News All News Marketplace Business News More All South African News Are Sponsored by: CHEEBA AFRICA Hydrobiz Support Locals Networking for your business Meet like minded people Advertise with us today Connecting People Opportunity for all Supporting Business Growth