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5(&5($7,21 )($785(

these have been clarified, Oppenheim
outlined the basic legal position as follows:
• grow only as much as necessary for your
personal use;
• you may use it for your personal
recreational or medicinal use, alone or
with friends and family over the age of
18, in spaces not open to groups other
than your own;
• other than in the case of specific health
supplements and processed hemp
fibre, buying and selling cannabis or
any cannabis-containing product is
presently not legally permissible.

Given the somewhat controversial nature
of cannabis, the new laws will have to be
airtight and be able to withstand a full
public commentary process. Oppenheim
says a bill regulating cannabis is soon to
be published for public comment, but this
has not been officially confirmed and law
firm Bowmans has not yet seen any such
draft.
Growing demand

A Western Cape greenhouse facility,
Felbridge, says that it is waiting for the SA
government to catch up to the growing
demand for cannabis cultivation in the
country. Felbridge is one of four companies Cannabis plant in flower - Photo by Natie Ferreira
that have been granted licences from the the product, I can’t sell it to the public, 2019, setting in process a motion which, it
South African Health Products Regulatory only to another licenced entity – and those said, will eventually see the standardisation
Authority (SAHPRA) to cultivate the import licences haven’t been issued yet. Until and proper scientific formulation, dosage
and export of cannabis.
things open up a bit more, we’re just going requirements and combinations of
to be testing our genetics and ensuring cannabinoids for medical purposes.
The company says it will be using its that our strain standards are ready,” he
greenhouse facilities in Stellenbosch explains. Industry experts have determined that
for the first plantation, with a plan to South Africa could unlock a R107 billion
ultimately use 5 000 square metres to Pharmaceutical group Afriplex’s partner industry by regulating and taxing the
grow the plants in phases. The commercial company, House of Hemp, was granted cultivation, manufacturing and sale of
licence allows the company to use a cultivation licence by SAHPRA in April cannabis products. LSA
14 000 square metres for the crops, while
Felbridge’s greenhouse facility covers
46 000 square metres in total.
Felbridge CEO Leslie Zettler said the aim Ed’s note and information sources
is to produce around 20 tons of dried Associations The topic of cannabis is vast and complex,
cannabis, with cultivation taking place • SANCAP Southern African Network of and Landscape SA acknowledges that this
in a slightly more isolated space, away Cannabis Professionals article is a brief overview. In future issues,
from other crops. He highlighted a few www.sancap.co.za we will continue to publish articles on
challenges companies in South Africa will additional aspects of the subject, as well as
face for cannabis cultivation, as they wait • SACCRA South African Cannabis looking at the above matters in more detail.
for government legislation to “catch up”. Community & Regulatory Association
One problem is around licence restrictions, www.saccra.org.za Information used in this article courtesy of
particularly as the group’s licence is purely the following online sources:
• BusinessTech – articles dated 7 June 2019,
for cultivation. The importing of seeds • Cannabis Industry Development
and manufacturing of products to then Council 20 October 2019, 4 November 2019 by
sell in various forms is still not part of the 021 762 4380 Staff Writer.
package. www. businesstech.co.za
• Fields of Green For All • The South African, 21 April 2019, article by
“Our licence is strictly for cultivation, we’re 063 174 0938 Damian Strauss entitled Weed Growing
still waiting for companies to be licenced Guide: Cannabis Indoors vs Outdoors.
to manufacture – where they will be able • Cannabis Compliance Bureau www.thesouthafrican.com
to use our product and turn it into oil, 082 307 6907/082 8282820 www.growbarato.net
tablets and things like that. I can only grow www.growweedeasy.com

Landscape SA • Issue 92 2020 23