IFP welcomes Concourt ruling on dagga use
The IFP says its hopeful that after today's Constitutional Court ruling decriminalising the private use of dagga, cannabis might be more readily available for medicinal purposes in South Africa.
Former party MP Mario Oriani Ambrosini, who died of cancer in 2014, had lobbied for changes to legislation around the use of cannabis for medicinal use.
Ambrosini had been using it for pain relief as he battled cancer.
His colleagues, including MP Narend Singh, continued Ambrosini's fight in Parliament following his death.
"We trust that the department of health would expedite the granting of licenses for the growing of cannabis ad for the manufacture of products for medicinal use," Singh said.
Singh says today's ConCourt ruling also reinforces their call for government to look at the growing of hemp in the country.
"Hemp is currently being imported into the country. We believe the economy can be boosted and a number of jobs created if the door is open for the growing of hemp for industrial purposes," Singh said.