Cannabusiness Legal Services

In 2018, the Constitutional Court delivered a landmark decision in the Prince Judgment, concerning a private adult’s cultivation, possession, and use of cannabis. This decision has chipped away at much of the social (and, by extension, commercial) stigma associated with cannabis and the multi-billion Rand industry that it has the potential to create for the South African economy.

To date the Prince Judgment remains the primary legal framework for Private Cannabis Clubs (“PCC”) and, more generally, the private cultivation, possession, and consumption of cannabis by adults in South Africa. However there have been some positive developments as the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority has started to facilitate the procedure by which license to cultivate, manufacture, and distribute medicinal cannabis products can be obtained. The hemp Cannabis sector has also seen progress with the provision for the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development making provisions for permits and  registration for the hemp cannabis sector.

Whether it is in the largely unregulated (and sometimes awkward) private space, the medical space, or the industrial space, Legalese is able to provide clear and detailed advice concerning the lawfulness of its clients’ cannabusiness models. We can also assist with obtaining any appropriate licenses, registrations, and other relevant compliance requirements that may lie ahead of you.

Essentially, we are here to assist our clients to gear up for the industry’s imminent boom. Certain cannabusiness models may not be lawful and feasible right now, but there are ways to prepare a brand and business strategically and commercially for when it is. Our in-depth understanding of the appropriate legal frameworks, alongside our positioning in the sector, empowers us to develop our clients’ presence and vision for themselves as leaders within the industry.

Scroll down for a summary of our Cannabusiness services offerings that we currently provide. While you do so, note that at the Presidency’s recent Cannabis and Hemp Action Lab Phakisa, we were promised some tectonic and catalytic shifts to the legal landscapes governing our Cannabis economies. As yet, none of the resolutions have been formally translated into law. We are right on top of these developments, which will be reflected and incorporated into our Cannabusiness service offering as soon as they occur. So do keep watching this space.