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New draft law shows how much cannabis you can keep for personal use in South Africa


Ill_Evan
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"The Ministry of Justice has drafted a new bill which provides guidelines as to how much cannabis people can grow and possess in South Africa.

The Mail & Guardian reports that the bill was developed in response to the Constitutional Court judgement in September 2018 that ended the ban on private cannabis use.

The draft bill – which has not been publicly released – states that South Africans will be allowed to possess up to 600g of dried cannabis in the privacy of their homes for personal use.

However, they will be prevented from selling the drug – either recreationally or for medicinal uses.

The draft document was reportedly sent to the national director of public prosecutions, the department of health, treasury, and other stakeholders in October 2019 with a deadline set for the end of January 2020.

It should be noted that the details of this legislation may still change and that it will still have undergo a public consultation period at a later date.

The government has until September 2020 to bring legislation on cannabis in line with the Constitution.

Hemp regulations 

The government also plans to open up and regulate the commercial use of hemp products, providing opportunities for small-scale farmers, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his State of the Nation address on Thursday.

Ramaphosa said government will formulate policy on the use of cannabis products for medicinal purposes, to “build this industry in line with global trends”.

“The regulatory steps will soon be announced by the relevant ministers,” he said.

He reiterated that agriculture is one of the industries with the greatest potential for growth.

The Eastern Cape Government has also indicated that it plans to build a cannabis college as a means of creating jobs in the impoverished province.

The training facility will upskill farmers in the growing and distribution of cannabis, and will assist with seed, fertilisers and fencing.

It is set to be built in the Ingquza Hill Local Municipality in Lusisiki, picked because of its ideal growing conditions."

https://businesstech.co.za/news/lifestyle/374310/new-draft-laws-show-how-much-cannabis-you-can-keep-for-personal-use-in-south-africa-report/

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The problem is, it takes longer to grow another single 600g plant, than to consume your current 600g... 

So if I split it into 6 plants....how are they gonna weigh my plants while wet and in medium? Are the roots, stems and leaves also weighed even though they are not the consumable part of the plant?....

All just potential issues in policing I'm seeing, but overall 600g is a decent amount to be able to have around.

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Luckily there will be thousands of growers by next year... good luck to the popo to police us all. Keep your nose out of shit and I think the sky will be the limmit... 

If my personal use requires me to have 20kg for oils, extracts and smoking I will have 20kg.. If they want to go after me for that... so be it..

:-peace

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I just hope they will keep in mind that when growing photoperiod seeds that male and hermed plants need to be discarded. Last season I started with 16 plants. 4 were stolen, 4 hermed and 2 was male. That left me with 6 females. If you are only alowed, say, 4... what would the ods be then.. I will push it to the max every time untill I can explain my logic in court..

:-peace

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So are we also only allowed 600g of tobacco or alcohol in our homes? because it still makes no sense to have STRICTER regulations for a SAFER product. It may be in-line with global trends, but the global trends are driven by capital and highly illogical. Is it too much to ask that SA become the world's first 'Bastion of Reefer Sanity'? CR is trying to appease the people, but I fear his loyalties still lie with big corporates, who want control over a burgeoning industry, one that is potentially hugely lucrative.

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Quote

South Africans will be allowed to possess up to 600g of dried cannabis in the privacy of their homes for personal use, but can forget about selling their stash legally any time soon if the new cannabis Bill is passed in its present form.

The Regulation of Cannabis Bill, drafted by the ministry of justice, will provide guidelines as to how much cannabis people can grow and possess, but continues to outlaw trading in the medicinal and recreational herb.

The Bill was drafted in response to the Constitutional Court judgment in September 2018 that ended the ban on private cannabis cultivation, possession and consumption.

The court gave the government two years to revise legislation and create a framework for legal cultivation and possession of the plant.

A draft of the Bill was sent to the national director of public prosecutions, the department of health, treasury and other affected departments in October for comment, with a cut-off deadline of January 31.

It will go to Cabinet for approval before being tabled in Parliament and put out for public comment, ahead of a September deadline imposed by the court.

With cannabis legalisation taking place around the world, cannabis activists had hoped that the Bill would provide for small and large-scale commercial cultivation and sale.

According to the African Cannabis Report, released last year, South Africa’s cannabis industry could be worth more than R107-billion once it becomes fully legalised.

Provincial governments in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape want to push ahead with commercial cannabis production and cannabis tourism, but are unable to do so until the central government creates a legal framework for doing so.

The Bill continues to make it a criminal offence to buy or sell cannabis, with jail sentences of up to 10 years remaining in place for trafficking large quantities of the herb.

Possession of more than the individual amount, but less than a traffickable amount, carries a jail sentence of between two and six years.

The Bill allows possession of up to 600g of dried cannabis per person, or a maximum of 1200g per household with two or more adults living in it. One gram of the herb is about enough for three joints.

Public possession is pegged at a maximum of 60g of dried cannabis, but public consumption remains illegal.

In a letter accompanying the draft, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said that both the regulatory model — as outlined in the Bill — and a commercial model were being considered.

The commercial model would allow for regulated commercial cultivation, possession and retailing of cannabis, similar to the regime for tobacco and alcohol.

The regulation model would allow the cultivation and possession of cannabis by individuals for their private and personal use, by determining the amount that can be cultivated, possessed and used.

Lamola said that although the Bill addressed the issues raised by the Constitutional Court, policy decisions still need to be taken about the quantities that could be cultivated or possessed for personal use; the appropriate model that should be implemented and the effect of the Bill or other cannabis regulation models on South Africa’s international legal obligations.

Paul-Michael Keichel of law firm Schindlers, which specialises in medicinal and recreational cannabis law, said the Bill was “entirely responsive” to the Constitutional Court judgment.

“It only caters for personal use or cultivation. It does not contemplate a commercialisation of cannabis,” he said. “It’s a policy decision that is yet to be made as to whether or not to commercialise. The judgment does not require that.”

Lamola’s spokesperson, Crispin Phiri, said that a Bill that “gives effect” to the judgment had been drafted and was undergoing internal consultation.

The Bill, he said, did not address commercialisation of cannabis or licensing, which was being attended to by the relevant departments, including trade and industry, health and social development.

Phiri said the Bill would be revised before being sent out for public comment and that its contents would be communicated once they had been approved by Cabinet.

A consultation memorandum circulated with the Bill states that implementing a commercial cannabis cultivation and retail model would not amount to a contravention of the international drug control regime.

A legal regime would ensure quality cannabis, as well as better education about its effects, and taxes could be levied to provide improved healthcare for problem users, it said.

https://mg.co.za/article/2020-02-14-no-legal-sales-in-new-cannabis-bill/

 

"The Bill allows possession of up to 600g of dried cannabis per person, or a maximum of 1200g per household with two or more adults living in it."

I am happy with this. I know some of the bigger growers or extracts users will probably have a problem with this. 

"The commercial model would allow for regulated commercial cultivation, possession and retailing of cannabis, similar to the regime for tobacco and alcohol."

This is really interesting. Recreational cannabis on the same level as tobacco and alcohol is a great step. Will obviously need to pay attention to how accessible this industry would be for the small farmer. However we won't see the commercial model this time round, "The Bill, he said, did not address commercialisation of cannabis or licensing, which was being attended to by the relevant departments, including trade and industry, health and social development."

All in all, pretty exciting developments on the horizon. Just hoping they don't botch it in some typical fashion.. 

 

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1,2kg per household is positive for now... But we know our government and all those decision making politicians too well. Corruption on a scale that's potentially larger then any other lies on the tail end of this.

So what do we do? Just continue staying under the radar and never keep more then 1,2kg of dried weed in one household? 

It's gonna be difficult considering they gonna weigh our trim, larfies, etc together with our bud.

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The Bill allows possession of up to 600g of dried cannabis per person, or a maximum of 1200g per household with two or more adults living in it. One gram of the herb is about enough for three joints.

 

Public possession is pegged at a maximum of 60g of dried cannabis, but public consumption remains illegal.

 

https://mg.co.za/article/2020-02-14-no-legal-sales-in-new-cannabis-bill/

 

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On 2/14/2020 at 11:13 PM, Stinger96 said:

Luckily there will be thousands of growers by next year... good luck to the popo to police us all. Keep your nose out of shit and I think the sky will be the limmit... 

If my personal use requires me to have 20kg for oils, extracts and smoking I will have 20kg.. If they want to go after me for that... so be it..

:-peace

my neighbour has 5 plants in their from garden. very reassuring. 

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