New draft law shows how much cannabis you can keep for personal use in South Africa: report
The Ministry of Justice has drafted a new bill which provides guidelines as to how much cannabis people can grow and possess in South Africa.
The Mail & Guardian reports that the bill was developed in response to the Constitutional Court judgement in September 2018 that ended the ban on private cannabis use.
The draft bill – which has not been publicly released – states that South Africans will be allowed to possess up to 600g of dried cannabis in the privacy of their homes for personal use.
However, they will be prevented from selling the drug – either recreationally or for medicinal uses.
The draft document was reportedly sent to the national director of public prosecutions, the department of health, treasury, and other stakeholders in October 2019 with a deadline set for the end of January 2020.
It should be noted that the details of this legislation may still change and that it will still have undergo a public consultation period at a later date.
The government has until September 2020 to bring legislation on cannabis in line with the Constitution.
Hemp regulations
The government also plans to open up and regulate the commercial use of hemp products, providing opportunities for small-scale farmers, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his State of the Nation address on Thursday.
Ramaphosa said government will formulate policy on the use of cannabis products for medicinal purposes, to “build this industry in line with global trends”.
“The regulatory steps will soon be announced by the relevant ministers,” he said.
He reiterated that agriculture is one of the industries with the greatest potential for growth.
The Eastern Cape Government has also indicated that it plans to build a cannabis college as a means of creating jobs in the impoverished province.
The training facility will upskill farmers in the growing and distribution of cannabis, and will assist with seed, fertilisers and fencing.
It is set to be built in the Ingquza Hill Local Municipality in Lusisiki, picked because of its ideal growing conditions.
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