SA cannabis growers may require licence and permit

Due to cannabis being categorised as a narcotic drug, it has been proposed that prospective cannabis growers will have to obtain a licence from the Medicines Control Council (MCC) as well as a permit from the Department of Health. This is according to MCC registrar, Joey Gouws.

SA cannabis growers may require licence and permit
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Due to cannabis being categorised as a narcotic drug, it has been proposed that prospective cannabis growers will have to obtain a licence from the Medicines Control Council (MCC) as well as a permit from the Department of Health. This is according to MCC registrar, Joey Gouws.

The MCC recently published draft guidelines for the cultivation and processing of cannabis for medical use.

According to guidelines, there is no limit to the number of licences that the council will issue for the production of cannabis for medical purposes, but the overall quantity grown in South Africa cannot exceed the quota set by the International Narcotics Control Board.

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A person with a licence to grow cannabis for hemp production will not be permitted to cultivate cannabis for medicinal purposes on the same site, in order to prevent cross-pollination.

“The framework was developed in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF). Good agricultural practices must be applied in the cultivation of cannabis, as determined by the DAFF for food-producing plants intended for human consumption,” Gouws said.

Strict guidelines are laid down for cultivation; these focus on soil, fertiliser application, irrigation, herbicides and pesticides. The legislation also states that good harvesting practices with appropriate procedures, as determined by DAFF, must be followed to ensure product quality.

Interested parties have until March 31 to comment.

Download the document. 

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Siyanda Sishuba has a degree in broadcast journalism. She graduated in 2010 at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Nelson Mandela Bay, Eastern Cape. She is passionate about the environment and agriculture. Siyanda grew up in Whittlesea and has seen how climate change and invasive species are affecting farmers in her community. She’s worked at the Weekend Post, a local newspaper in Nelson Mandela Bay, Eastern Cape. Thereafter she landed herself a job at Debt Management Consultants in East London, writing articles for company’s newsletter. She then moved to Johannesburg to work for the Department of Environmental Affairs Biosecurity Advocacy Unit