South Africa approves its first cannabis dispensary

South Africa's first dispensary opened its doors after receiving its license at the end of 2021.

THC Pharmacy, registered with the South African Pharmacy Council and the Department of Health, will supply card-holding medical cannabis users. This first launch follows the End of cannabis prohibition in South Africa in 2018 and authorization for personal use.

The pharmacy is located in Glenanda, Johannesburg, and supplies two others in the country. It also offers to handle application procedures for the use of medical marijuana or give cooking classes using cannabis.

«So far, the pharmacy has sold over 3 kg of dried medical flowers. It's slow going because each card only allows 120 grams per person per month, or 4 grams per day for 30 days. We're aiming for around 500 card-holding members, which will enable us to sell around 30 to 50 kg of products per month», said declared Kyle Brocklebank, CEO of THC Africa, who launched the THC Pharmacy.

To obtain a license, the pharmacy underwent various quality controls with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority. After these checks, the license issued authorizes the cultivation of cannabis, but only for medical purposes.

«The patient then sees a doctor who listens to his ailments and prescribes cannabis with specific doses of CBD and THC.  »

Patients complete a document to be submitted to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra), which is responsible for issuing cards authorizing the therapeutic use of cannabis.

«This is the approval Sahpra has to give to be able to use cannabis. We're tying the whole process together by helping with demand and selling the regulated product,» enthused Professor Benny De Beer, who works with THC Pharmacy.