Police say dealing in cannabis is still illegal

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has warned against the illegal marketing and selling of cannabis online, including social media platforms, as well as illegal dispensaries.

They say they will act against illegal businesses and customers who buy the products. 

The Cannabis Development Council's Krithi Thaver, says last year's Constitutional Court ruling allowing adults to possess and use cannabis in private, has been misunderstood by some, while others are abusing it.

He says distributors who are not properly trained and don't understand the plant may endanger people's health.

"These stores carry cannabis that we can't trace where is comes from. It can actually cause more damage than give a consumer a good experience. So, if you counter that you got responsible adult use model and that showcases how responsible adult use can be taken in consideration once the laws of recreational marijuana takes place like in Canada and in Amsterdam," he says. 

National Police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo says: "Cannabis (the whole plant or parts or products thereof) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (the psychoactive substance that gives one a “high”) are currently listed as Schedule 7 substances in terms of the Medicines and Related Substances Act, 1965 (Act 101 of 1965) (the Medicines Act), except when present in processed hemp fibre and products containing not more than 0,1 % of THC in a form not suitable for ingestion, smoking or inhaling purposes; or when present in processed products made from cannabis seed containing not more than 0,001 % of THC; or when used for medicinal purposes." 

"Cannabidiol (CBD) is listed as a Schedule 4 substance. Certain CBD-containing preparations have been excluded from the operation of the Schedules by the Minister of Health for a time-limited period, as per an exclusion notice (R.756) published in Government Gazette No. 42477 on 23 May 2019."

"CBD-containing preparations for medicinal use are excluded when they contain a maximum daily dose of 20 mg of CBD with an accepted low-risk claim or health claims, without referring to any specific disease."

"CBD-containing processed products are also excluded when the naturally occurring quantity of CBD and THC contained in the product does not exceed 0,0075 % and 0,001 %, of CBD and THC respectively."

"Any CBD-containing products that are outside the parameters of the exclusion notice are subject to the provisions of the Schedules and registration as a medicine."

"Any person who imports or manufactures a CBD-containing medicine in accordance with the exclusion notice must still be in possession of a licence issued in terms of section 22C(1)(b) of the Medicines Act and comply with any relevant standards, including current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) standards. Such persons must be able to present verified assessment by an accredited laboratory of the CBD and/or THC content of any product or medicine when requested," he said.