The Department of Health has quietly banned the production and selling of cannabis and hemp-derived foodstuffs in South Africa.
This has hugely upset activists who have spent decades working towards the decriminalisation of cannabis and products derived from it.
One such expert is Myrtle Clarke who is currently at the United Nations offices in Vienna, Austria, to campaign about the cannabis opportunities in the continent.
"This is not only about THC edibles, but also about hemp seeds, hemp oil and hemp flour too. We have no idea what precipitated all of this disastrous piece of potential legislation," Clarke said.
She added that she and her organisation, Fields of Green for All are still reeling from the news.
"It came out of the blue. I think everyone in the cannabis community is totally shocked. We know that the sale of THC is illegal, but to include hemp seeds and hemp flour and oil in this which is something we have had access to for a long time."
A news message from Myrtle in Vienna on behalf of Fields Of Green For All and The Cannabis Embassy. #proudlygreen pic.twitter.com/azIIwFgn3q
— fieldsofgreenforALL.org.za🇿🇦 #DAGGA NPO (@FieldsOfGreenFA) March 11, 2025
Clarke accused the government of hypocrisy as she had been in meetings where the government had raved about the economic opportunities that cannabis can bring to the country.
"We have been side-swiped by this news ... To present a two-page document to the South African public out of the blue like that is certainly ripe for all sorts of shenanigans in court ... The lawyers are on alert," she added.
The Dagga Union has also reacted to the news, saying: "A blow to dagga freedoms and the industry. Time to fight back."
The union called on other organisations that advocate for the decriminalisation of cannabis to oppose the health department's attempts to ban edibles.
IOL