SA to host first cannabis roadshow

As the government moves to capitalise on the untapped cannabis industry, doctors are being invited to get accredited to prescribe medicinal marijuana.

The Cheeba Cannabis Academy has partnered with Carol’s Oil to launch a “first in Africa” two-day Medical Cannabis Roadshow that will be presented in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town during the course of next month.

Last year, the academy launched the country’s first medical professional cannabis training course with the global leader in online medical cannabis training, US-based Medical Marijuana 411.

The course is accredited for 20 continuing professional development (CPD) points by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and is also accredited in several US states.

The roadshow offer comprises the online medical professional cannabis course and the two-day in-person seminar which is accredited for 14 CPD points by the HPSCA.

Cheeba Africa CEO and cofounder Trenton Birch said the training roadshow provided a unique opportunity for doctors to learn from and engage with leaders in the medical cannabis field.

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“We are proud to have partnered with the incredible team from Carol’s Oil to put together a compelling introduction and overview presented by top experts who are at the front lines of the specialised field of medical cannabis,” said Birch.

Birch said there is a growing curiosity around marijuana-based medication among patients who are keen to include the herb in their treatment plans.

“This is an opportunity for GPs, psychologists, dietitians and other healthcare providers to increase their knowledge so that they are equipped to meet this new demand,” said Birch.

In recent months, medical cannabis activist and Cheeba Academy lecturer Kwanda Mtetwa became the first South African to receive a legal prescription for medical cannabis.

Mtetwa uses a medical cannabis-based treatment for pain management for injuries from a car accident.

He receives prescriptions through the medical cannabis cultivator CBD Full Spectrum, which uses the Section 21 provision set up by the South African Health products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra).

Cannabis pharmaceutical products that are not yet registered by Sahpra may be obtained under Section 21 of the Medicines Act by authorised medical practitioners for their patients.

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“This paves the way for many more South Africans to take a completely legal route, expertly facilitated by their doctor, to using cannabis as medicine for a wide range of ailments and medical conditions,” said Birch.

Carol’s Oil founder and owner Sharon Price collaborated with the academy and developed the curriculum for the two-day Medical Cannabis Roadshow.

“The course has been designed to provide a solid foundational knowledge of cannabis as an effective medical intervention for a variety of pathologies, said Price.

“The goal is to reframe the prohibitionist stigma which has erroneously cast cannabis as a recreational drug with no medical use,” Price added.

– news@citizen.co.za