South Africa to speed up regulation of its cannabis industry

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa wants to speed up the regulation of the cannabis industry in South Africa.

The President said in his State of the Nation address last Thursday that the production of hemp and cannabis could create 130,000 new jobs. Creating a regulatory and policy framework for the industry is now a priority.

«We want to exploit this,» he declared. «We will accelerate policy and regulations around the use of cannabis for medical purposes, particularly in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal» to ensure that cannabis realizes its «enormous» investment and job-creation potential.

Finally legalizing cannabis

The plan to legalize cannabis must also make headway, although it has been stalled in Parliament since late 2020.

In 2017, the South Africa's Constitutional Court has ruled that the government could not prevent citizens from growing and consuming cannabis in their own homes. This decision gave legislators two years to propose legislation. The draft law which culminated in 2020 has nevertheless been widely criticized for its harsh penalties and confusing rules.

Under the bill, people who consume cannabis in public can be jailed for up to two years, and if they do so in front of children, they risk four years behind bars.

The bill abolished minor offences, but did not specify enforcement measures. Nor did it include rules for marketing, which largely prevented the development of an industry.

The bill would also benefit those with the space to grow and consume cannabis in peace, while the harsh penalties would put more pressure on poor and vulnerable communities.

In response to this unpopular bill, South Africa's Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) last summer introduced a master plan for cannabis designed to finally get the industry off the ground.

The plan creates a seed registration and certification system, while drawing on traditional knowledge to support research and development. It aims to provide technical and financial support to farmers and develop the local market, while facilitating exports for South African products. It also implements education and training programs.

The bill is currently before the South African parliament.