South Africa Accelerates Cannabis Regulation and Sees International Market Building in the Future

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been republished with permission.

The South African cannabis industry has been at a standstill for a number of years, despite government statements to speed up reforms. Recently, the African country’s federal government pledged to accelerate its proposed reforms to boost the power of the industry.

South Africans are preparing for a new phase in their cannabis industry. The proposed reforms promise to help the sector and its operators thrive. This is very different from other African countries, which have remained blind to the medical and economic potential of cannabis reforms.

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progress, finally!

In terms of federal cannabis reforms, South Africa is one of the few countries that seems to be making progress. The majority of the countries in the world are currently in the naysayer band, with very little chance of moving. The South African government announced its plans to develop a regulatory framework for the growing local cannabis industry. When this plan was first announced in 2019, the government didn’t act on it. However, this latest development has the support of the president himself and is therefore a turbocharger for the movement.

On February 10, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the cannabis industry is an important part of the country’s economic plan. His government plans to open up the domestic cannabis industry to attract more investors and create thousands of jobs for South Africans. The President announced this after the joint session of the National Assembly and the National Council of the Provinces of the Federation in Cape Town.

In delivering the State of the Union (SONA) address to key government officials, he emphasized the importance of developing the fledgling local industry. Cannabis plants are currently in high demand around the world, so it would make economic sense to tap the global market by growing large quantities of cannabis plants for export and processing.

Up to 130,000 jobs would be created by expanding the local cannabis industry in the country. The potential value of the industry could be at least $1 billion. Just imagine the many foreign investors flocking to the country to get involved. Remember that the post-pandemic era was plagued by inflation, job shortages and a generally low quality of life. The cannabis industry could offer an excellent solution to this.

The government plans to use Lesotho as a blueprint for its cannabis industry framework. The developed nation’s president plans to streamline the current lengthy procedures in the cannabis and hemp sectors to allow for rapid growth. They aim to refine the industry’s regulatory and policy framework to make things better and easier.

A renewed focus on cannabis reforms

Ranaphosa explained that the country needs to leverage the cannabis industry for economic growth and medical breakthroughs. He said federal agencies are working together to expedite and modify policies and regulations that allow cannabis to be used for medicinal purposes. The move will also make the medicines more accessible to residents of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

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This renewed focus or interest in cannabis reform is an unusual turn of events in this part of the world. It is also an exciting choice for an African country to consider the POST-COVID economic recovery measure. South Africa is keeping a close eye on the international cannabis trade going forward.

Since 2020, cannabis advocates in South Africa have been clamoring for the Personal Use Cannabis Act in Parliament. But nothing of value has been done since its launch in late 2020. Until the announcement of this latest plan, this bill proposed that adults should possess and grow cannabis in their homes for personal use. It contains comprehensive information on the rules and guidelines for cannabis growers and recreational users.

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This newfound focus won’t just be limited to the cannabis industry. The President went on to say that his government is working on more plans to boost productivity in other promising sectors. He says he is committed to creating and maintaining a good business environment in all regions of the country.

Should this be a priority?

Cannabis reforms in South Africa have been slow to evolve over the years. This latest development has been long-awaited, but that’s not reason enough to consider it the best move of the moment.

In 2018, South Africa’s Constitutional Court ruled in favor of cannabis reforms for home cultivation and personal use. The court’s decision included a two-year period for the legislature to pass the law. Unfortunately, in 2020, COVID got rolling and upended all cannabis reform laws. The announcement of Ramaphosa means the legislative drag and avoidable delays are finally over.

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Until yesterday, the details of the draft law were heavily criticized as confusing and too strict. The bill includes a provision to delete records for minor, non-violent crimes. Still, it does not provide detailed information on how the industry might be commercialized for global reach, nor does it explicitly describe how lawmakers would implement the law. An example of the confusing provisions is that smoking in public is punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment, while smoking among children is followed by four years’ imprisonment.

In truth, the proposed legislation looks best for private growers and consumers, with little attention paid to large-scale cannabis production and sales. The proposed penalties will also pose more of a threat to the country’s vulnerable, poor and vulnerable areas.

bottom line

From the looks of it, Ramaphosa’s team isn’t entirely altruistic about the proposed reforms, but sees them as a way out of an ailing economy. For many, the reason doesn’t matter as long as the reforms are approved.

Progress in cannabis reforms could mean additional incentives for cannabis growers and a new product for the country to market globally. It’s unclear whether or not this government will soon approve these cannabis reforms, but rest assured that internal pressures to provide potential support for the struggling economy could help them stay on course.

According to Ramaphosa, South Africa is fighting for the reputation and soul of the industrial nation. Whether they are defeated or not depends on their tenacity.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been republished with permission.