New policies on hemp and cannabis needed now

SA already knew of the potential of hemp as far back as 1997. At the time, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) had conducted a feasibility study on hemp that found the plant was economically viable when its use was extended from the production of fibre into other potentially lucrative uses such as textiles.

Researchers also estimated that its production costs were on par with maize and cotton.

It has taken 24 years for the government to finally acknowledge the potential of cannabis and hemp as major contributors to the economy. The department of agriculture presented its cannabis master plan to parliament in 2021 and, encouragingly, President Cyril Ramaphosa echoed its sentiments in his State of the Nation Address (Sona) this year.

But to take a once illegal resource into the formal economy requires a shift in perception to show the public the social, healthcare and economic benefits.

Ideally, the process should be aligned with international human rights standards, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals and the outcome document of the 2016 UN General Assembly special session, on the international drug problem, thus paving the way for the next decade in cannabis and hemp policies.

SA is considered the most unequal country in the world. This inequality is characterised by a lack of housing and the rising prices in food and medicine. Hemp and cannabis can both be beneficiated into products ranging from foodstuffs to hempcrete.

Cannabis can be made into bricks resistant to pests and fire, regulate interior temperatures, store and release moisture and absorb carbon emissions.

A more widespread adoption of hempcrete in government housing will bring down the cost of building materials. It promises to be a cost-effective and sustainable solution to the housing problem.

Hemp seeds are considered a superfood. They are rich in protein, fibre and healthful fatty acids, including omega-3 and omega-6. The plant can be beneficiated into flour. Adding this to the national staple can be a cheap and much-needed intervention.

One statistic stood out from the president’s Sona: that the sector has the potential to create more than 130,000 new jobs. And this is just in the formal sector.

According to the World Health Organisation, SA, as the world’s third-largest producer of illegal cannabis, employs over 1.2m people. The illicit sector includes 900,000 cannabis farmers and 350,000 traditional healers, the latter growing the plant for medicinal reasons.

Policy interventions will go a long way to transforming the informal trade into a robust formal sector complete with regulations. A Prohibition Partners report from 2019 stated that licensed cannabis cultivation in Africa could generate as much as $7.1bn (about R110bn) a year.

For hemp and cannabis to truly enter the mainstream market, a policy overhaul is needed as of yesterday. The government needs to swiftly create an environment in which businesses can thrive or its cannabis master plan will be a non-starter and SA will miss out on these prolific plants’ potential social, economic and healthcare benefits.