Cannabis bill to be law by 2023
Bill is currently before the National Assembly for consideration
Tuesday, April 6, 2021
The possession, cultivation and use of cannabis for private use is expected to be passed into law in two years’ time. The legalisation of the private and commercial use of cannabis forms part of the country’s plan to revive its ailing economy which has been further battered by Covid-19. Decriminalising cannabis has previously been touted by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni as one of the ways the country could plug in the hole in dwindling tax revenues. By 2023, South Africa ought to have declared hemp as an agricultural crop, made amendments to the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act, and developed a new policy and legislation for the commercialisation of cannabis. (See also: New cannabis rules proposed for South Africa – to be introduced within next 2 years)