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· The Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill, introduced in the South African parliament on 1 September is a trend setter in many ways
· The proposed bill seeks to provide clarity around the growing and private use of cannabis in South Africa, but flls short of its objective, say experts
The Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill, introduced in the South African parliament on 1 September is a trend setter in many ways. The proposed bill seeks to provide clarity around the growing and private use of cannabis in South Africa, but flls short of its objective, say experts.
The bill was seen as the first step in a revised, progressive approach to cannabis in the country. The proposed legislation, according to experts, suffers from various infirmities. The drafters of the bill have seemingly adopted a ‘narrow and traditionalist perspective’, which does not give a liberal interpretation of the usage of cannabis, particularly the commercial aspects of the drug. The bill, experts say, further prohibits the exchange of remuneration for cannabis, cannabis plants, seeds, and seedlings. They say the Bill envisages idealistic altruism while completely ignoring the commercial realities. Naturally, the industry expected a liberal approach towards growing, processing, and supplying cannabis for personal consumption.
People opposing the tabled bill say that in practice the proposed legislation is counter- productive forcing the average person to obtain cannabis illicitly, reinforcing the existing black market, and depriving the economy of attainable tax income.
Presently, the law provides for opportunities to farmers who can obtain a licenses to either export their yield or supply it to a laboratory that has the necessary licenses for the treatment, processing, and manufacturing of cannabis-related products .It prevents the whole country from participating in the commercial aspect of cannabis and getting benefited from that. The bill offers a detailed schedule on the quantities of cannabis and related products, including derivatives that can be grown and possessed by individuals in accordance with their right to privacy.
