This August, local cannabis activist and NPC, Fields of Green for All, partner with leading global and local medical professionals to deliver South Africa’s first Clinical Cannabis Convention.
The convention, which will be held at Wits University, aims to educate medical professionals about cannabis and its uses, as well as legalising the use of the substance by the general public.
Charl Henning, who works with Fields of Green for All and Join the Q, explained how the use of the substance has dropped since its legalisation.
Read: Government gives go-ahead for medicinal cannabis
“The best examples are Portugal where the use of cannabis has dropped since it has been legalised, and also in California where teens no longer want to use the drug because it is legal and it’s therefore not fun anymore. Legalising it doesn’t mean that everyone will use it.”
The one-day convention shares insights into how best to reintegrate the plant back into society, while relaying ways to maximise the plant’s benefits, minimise harm from uninformed use, and suggest guidelines to expedite the use of medical cannabis for sick and terminally ill patients.
Leading global cannabis experts will unpack the therapeutic implications of the endocannabinoid system, the effects of consuming cannabis and how it can be used as a tool for healing. Topics will include the legitimacy and practicality of the cannabis trade, as well as the ethical considerations to be addressed.
“We aim to grow a local community who are fully informed about cannabis, collaborating to pioneer Africa’s first legal cannabis market. We are presenting a safe and reliable platform to discuss and learn,” said Myrtle Clarke, managing director of Fields of Green for All.
Henning added, “We want to create a no-holds-barred environment where people can use it for healing and also use it in their personal capacity.”
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In addition, Henning also advocates for the legalisation of cannabis due to the excessive amount of paperwork that is required when a person is arrested for possession of cannabis.
“Ladies with breast cancer call me [regularly] crying and asking for me to help them, but there is so much paperwork that needs to be done that it takes a lot of time to help them in court.”
For these and many other reasons, the company urges all people to attend the convention.
The convention will take place on 5 August in Wits University’s Linder Auditorium.
Details: fieldsofgreenforall.org.za; jointheq.co.za
