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Daily news alerts
Daily regulatory updates of legal changes in the cannabis sector, including monthly compilations
30th November 2023
South Africa: The Select Committee on Security and Justice is inviting stakeholders and interested parties to send in written submissions on the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill until 19th January 2024. The bill would allow possession and cultivation for private purposes and sets a clear distinction between hemp and cannabis.15th November 2023
- South Africa: Yesterday (14th November), the National Assembly passed the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill, which allows possession and cultivation for private purposes and sets a clear distinction between hemp and cannabis. The bill will now be discussed in a selected committee before being tabled in the National Council of Provinces.
8th November 2023
- South Africa: The parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services approved the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill. The bill, which was introduced in 2020, allows possession and cultivation for private purposes and sets a clear distinction between hemp and cannabis. It will now be debated in the National Assembly.
26th September 2023
- South Africa: The Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services is currently considering amendments to the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill. The committee has invited interested parties and industry members to make written submissions on alternative solutions by which to address the prohibition of use, possession and cultivation of cannabis by children (under-18s). Submissions should be emailed to cannabisbill@parliament.gov.za and must be received by 13th October 2023.
26th June 2023
- South Africa: Regulatory reforms to enable the development of the hemp and cannabis sector were jointly agreed during an "Action Lab" organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Presidency, together with the provincial government, businesses and other industry members. The reform includes a review of the Medicines Act to allow cannabis to be grown for non-medical purposes, including industrial purposes, and to remove cannabis from the Drugs Act. A further consultation process on recreational cannabis involving all industry members was also mentioned.
25th May 2023
South Africa: The Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services has concluded a two-day public hearing on proposed amendments to the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill. Stakeholders criticised the bill for not adequately addressing regulation of the cannabis industry, taxation and access to medical cannabis. The committee will begin deliberations on the bill next week.
6th April 2023
- South Africa: The Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services has opened the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill for public comments. The bill was introduced in Parliament in September 2020, and sets a clear distinction between hemp and cannabis and allows specific quantities for possession and cultivation for private purposes. Comments can be submitted until 28th April 2023.
10th February 2023
- South Africa: During the 2023 State of the Nation Address, president Cyril Ramaphosa recommitted to investing in the hemp and cannabis sector. "The Department of Agriculture Land Reform and Rural Development and the Department of Health will address existing conditions for the cultivation of hemp and cannabis to allow outdoor cultivation and collection of harvests from traditional farmers," the president said. He added that urgent work is being finalised by the government to enable a regulatory framework for a "whole plant" that includes "complimentary medicines, food, cosmetics, and industrial products, aligned to international conventions and best practices".
6th September 2022
South Africa: The Western Cape High Court has dismissed a company director’s application to decriminalise cannabis “grow clubs”, press reports. The court said that recognising the grow club model, in which a private club grows cannabis on behalf of others, would contravene the Drugs Act. The Constitutional Court decriminalised the possession and cultivation of cannabis for personal home use in 2018.
20th June 2022
South Africa:Written comments can be sent to the Presidency’s Office until 27th June on a draft plan to bring investments into the country. The draft recognises cannabis as a traded commodity and concludes that medicinal cannabis is more viable to pursue at an industrial scale than recreational cannabis. It also stresses the need for a regulatory framework for medicinal cannabis.
14th June 2022
South Africa: President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed former trade and industry deputy director Garth Strachan as policy head to help develop the South Africa’s hemp and cannabis industry in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture, press reports. Strachan has spoken in favour of responsible adult use and a regulatory framework for medicinal cannabis and hemp that protect small farmers in rural areas.
Regulatory reports
Comprehensive legal reports outlining how the sector is regulated, interpretation of the laws and relevant bodies
Regulatory databases
Regularly updated global regulations currently in place, compiled into easy-to-read maps and tables
