Cannabis licensing is marginalising legacy farmers

Bringing legacy farmers into the formal market also received a lot of attention at the recent Cheeba Cannabis Cultivation Summit at the CTICC

Trenton Birch, CEO of Cheeba Cannabis Academy, said that there was a feeling that government had failed legacy farmers, and that these farmers needed to be included in discussions and the formal market.

Malombo Dlamini, chairperson of Mpondoland Cannabis Belt, said the body was created because farmers in the region of the former Transkei Bantustan, who have been producing cannabis for many generations, felt that no-one was speaking up for them when it came to the legalisation of cannabis.

Instead of unlocking better income opportunities for this region, the legalisation of cannabis in South Africa has resulted in continued marginalisation and prosecution of these farmers.

“Mpondoland farmers are scared to grow cannabis without a licence, and production has become less profitable because of the arrival of new entrants who are pushing stock into the market.”

Environmental lawyer Ricky Stone said that all farmers should be allowed to grow cannabis legally without a licence.

“Even a well-intended government won’t be able to get all the Mpondoland farmers in the Eastern Cape licensed. It is tough enough to be a viable farmer without needing a permit or licence. Needing licences only complicates things.”

He agreed, however, that standards were needed, depending on the market that was targeted. “Let’s take time to think about how we can take best advantage of the situation and how to regulate. The export market and its standards will always be there, but let’s face it, only 20% of licencees make it.”

Traditional doctor Brian Damonse said that cannabis was classified as a medicinal plant, but pharmaceutical companies were now trying to hijack it by creating their own classification. “By creating a new classification, cannabis is being taken away from the traditional medicine sector, which has been using it for centuries.”

He said that the Traditional Health Practitioners Act No. 22 of 2007 could be used to formalise and regulate the traditional medicine sector, and turn it from an informal to formal market. “Selling cannabis to the traditional medicine sector would unlock huge opportunity in South Africa, as roughly 80% of the population uses traditional medicine.”

He added that the landrace cannabis would work well for the traditional market, even though its THC levels were low, from 10% to 12%. –

EVEN A WELLINTENDED GOVERNMENT WON’T BE ABLE TO GET ALL THE FARMERS IN THE AREA LICENSED