Let’s cultivate laws for a cannabis industry centred on uplifting the rural poor

Government can unlock the economic potential of rural economies while regulating research, retail and consumption
Mail & Guardian (South Africa)
Wednesday, September 19, 2018

The Constitutional Court judgment on cannabis probably made a lot of people happy because, across all sectors of society, people smoke weed and have, until now, been doing so in dark corners, fearful of being arrested. The judgment was clear in how it expanded the view of private use to not being confined only to one’s private dwelling. It remains to be seen whether there will be consensus on what “private use” is. Parliament must provide the clarity that is not in the judgment. Parliament must also call on South Africans to help it imagine a future cannabis industry in the country, before the cannabis farming space is exploited by cartels and private corporates. (See also: Why the ConCourt decision to legalise dagga for private use is a good thing)