Cannabis activists up in arms over ban

March 14, 2025 78

Cannabis rights activist have slammed the Health Department’s decision to ban the import, manufacture and sale of any foods containing cannabis and cannabis products in the country.

Health Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, this week gazetted regulations of the ban, which will also affect legal items like hemp seed oil and flour.

The decision has left business owners reeling and worried about the impact on their businesses and potential job losses.

Speaking to YNews, leader of the Dagga Party, Jeremy Acton, has described this decision as malicious, erratic and unscientific.

The notice specifies that this ban applies to any part of the plant or component of cannabis, including: satvia, indica, ruderalis, hemp seed oil, or powder derivatives from the various species or sub-species.

Acton says the Health Minister’s decision won’t only affect businesses, but will have a major impact on people who use these products for health reasons.

He says government needs to review its decision because this ban will do more harm than good.

The Department of Health says the aim of the decision is to introduce a process whereby these affected products can be vetted and regulated through the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra).

However, pro-cannabis activists believe that this ban is irrational, especially after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill into law in May last year, decriminalising private cannabis use for individuals.

The law allows for the cultivation of a specified quantity of cannabis plants, possession of a prescribed amount of cannabis and the use of cannabis for private individuals.

However, the sale of cannabis is still forbidden.

Cheeba Academy Cannabis CEO, Trenton Birch, has also lamented the decision – saying the government is seemingly ignorant on how beneficial the product can be for South Africans.

Slamming the ban nonsensical and without basis, Birch says the move will have a dire impact on small businesses.

He says furious industry players won’t roll over and play dead.

YNews tried getting the health department to explain its reasons in detail on the decision but they had not responded at the time of publishing.

In a shocking move, the Department of Health has quietly banned the production and selling of cannabis and hemp products.

This unexpected turn of events contradicts the government’s decriminalisation of cannabis by the Constitutional Court in recent years. pic.twitter.com/4nOrYLuvdJ

— Cape Town, Bru /\/¯¯¯¯¯\/ (@CapeTown_Bru) March 13, 2025

Does anyone have clarity on whether the Health Minister actually has the powers to ban cannabis and hemp products? Edibles etc

— Dan Corder 📺 (@DanCorderOnAir) March 14, 2025

WTF! Health Minister’s regulations kill off cannabis & hemp industries just as they getting going & contradicts President’s #SONA plan for South Africa to be “leading in commercial production of hemp and cannabis”.
What happened to 2021 National Cannabis Plan with the potential… pic.twitter.com/fXKLcPQdJB

— Brett Herron 🇿🇦🍉 (@brettherron) March 14, 2025

The ANC is clearly dysfunctional at this point. To have Ramaphosa constantly tell us the cannabis industry is a key sector, only to then have Motsoaledi attempt (this regulation is unconstitutional, an issue for another day) to just implement a sweeping cannabis ban is insane. pic.twitter.com/g0drVkeqxE

— Wogan May (@WoganMay) March 13, 2025

NOooooooooooo…. the health minister has banned cannabis and hemp products… so I ain’t gonna get cbd shots anymore 😔😥😢😭 as if finding them anywhere in the 1st place was easy enough

— Bitso (@Langa_BantuKing) March 14, 2025