Dagga Bill debate hots up

Moving cannabis from the informal sector to a more formal one is an extremely important concept – socially, economically and legally – with its commercialisation set to immensely contribute to economic growth, job creation and export earnings, according to a leading economist.

Commenting this week against the background of this week’s robust arguments presented to the portfolio committee on justice and correctional services, during public hearings on the Cannabis for Private Purpose Bill, University of Johannesburg associate economics professor Peter Baur, also cautioned that South Africa might see a production shift by the agricultural sector – from other crops to cannabis.

Cannabis

The cannabis debate has seen the pro-dagga movement slamming provisions of the Bill it said strengthened police powers and intrusion, with the likelihood of rural farmers disempowered.

Doctors for Life International (DFL) have made a comprehensive submission on the global dangers of marijuana – pointing to South Africa’s climbing road death toll.

“Much of this will depend on the price per kilogram that cannabis would fetch on the market,” said Baur.

“On the flip side – because of the ease of growth – small and informal farmers might benefit more from the growth and production of cannabis, due to changing production being easier.

Commercialisation

“Commercialisation of cannabis production could have important upstream and downstream effects – limiting the use of dangerous pesticides that could have negative health implications for recreational users.

“Farming is a highly specialised industry and the commercialisation of large-scale production of cannabis products would likely feed into the hemp industry with offshoots into textile industries. Cannabis for recreational purposes would most likely remain in the domain of smaller and informal businesses.”

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Law

The law, said Baur, appeared to be “targeted towards the private production and consumption of cannabis products – offering more protection to the consumer – as opposed to large-scale manufacturing”.

University of Pretoria senior law lecturer Dr Llewelyn Curlewis warned that the Bill could be challenged in court should it be signed into law – without taking broad concerns on board.

“Parliament will have to consider referring the matter back to the justice and correctional services portfolio committee or even the Law Reform Commission to come up with more suggestions,” said Curlewis.

Dangers

In its comprehensive submission, DFL warned of the dangers of cannabis on society, citing:

• Global studies covering the United States, Australia, UK, Netherlands, Spain and Portugal – among other countries – pointing to the impact of dagga on drivers.

• SA’s road death toll statistics being higher than the world and Africa’s averages, with accidents costing the country R164 billion per year.

“American national poison control centres received 2 362 exposure cases of delta-8 THC products between 1 January 2021 and 28 February 2022, with 8% resulting in admission to a critical care unit.” said DFL.

“One paediatric patient died. “Cannabis has a schizophrenogenic effect in specific people.

“The issues to be deliberated should be whether a person who has used cannabis be permitted to drive a vehicle.

“How do we protect other road users from those using cannabis whilst driving?”

It added: “The commercialisation of hemp falls unequivocally outside the purview of The Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill, which is supposedly designed to regulate the private use of cannabis. Given the distinct nature of hemp and its vast potential abuses, it is strongly recommended that a separate, dedicated Bill be introduced to address its potential negative effects.

“This would ensure that the full legislative process is rigorously followed, allowing for comprehensive consideration of harms as mentioned in this submission.

Health concerns

“There are numerous risks and significant health concerns associated with hemp derivatives. “As such, it would be reckless to attempt to incorporate it into the existing legislation without proper consideration. By introducing a separate Bill, lawmakers can ensure that these risks are thoroughly addressed.

“Consideration should be given to the creation of a regulatory authority to control the hemp industry, because a state laboratory will become necessary to monitor the producers of hemp and hemp products.”

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