🇿🇦 South Africa Legalizes Weed: Will Other African Countries Follow? 🌿🌍
⬇️ Pidgin ⬇️ ⬇️ Black American Slang ⬇️ English
E don legal for South Africans to grow and use cannabis. Di next battle na to make am legal to trade. Di whole continent dey watch. 👀🌍
On di eve of di May 27 general elections, wey see di ruling African National Congress lose their majority for di first time in 30 years of South African democracy, one major change to di country’s drug laws pass through, almost unnoticed by most people. 🗳️🇿🇦
Just one day before di historic vote, President Cyril Ramaphosa sign di Cannabis for Private Purposes Act, making South Africa di first African nation to legalize di use of marijuana. Di bill remove cannabis from di list of outlawed drugs, meaning adults now free to grow and use di plant (except in front of children). Di bill also talk say those wey break di law before should get their records wiped clean. But e still unclear how or when this go happen, or if any of di 3,000 people in prison for cannabis-related offences as of 2022 go get released. 📜🔓
But after years of campaigning and negotiations, activists talk say di fight never finish. ✊🏾🌿
Unlike other countries wey don legalize cannabis, like Malta, Canada, and Uruguay, e still no dey possible to legally buy am for South Africa unless you grow am yourself. Selling cannabis still illegal unless e be for medicinal purposes and prescribed by doctor. 🚫💊
“What di bill mean be say if dem catch you with small amount of cannabis wey policeman think say too much for your personal use, dem no fit charge you as drug dealer,” one activist explain. In other words, you fit get plenty weed for your backyard, as long as you no dey sell am. Still, a huge grey market already dey exist. 🌿🏡
Di new law don take six years to make. After one 2018 court ruling say private consumption of cannabis dey constitutional, di government was told to prepare law wey go legalize am within two years. Since then, shops and dispensaries don dey sell di drug under Section 21 of di Medicines Act, which allow for “unregistered medicines” if doctor prescribe am. 🏥📜
“We no dey get wahala from police at all,” one dispensary owner for Durban talk. “Only if you dey sell to underage kids or dey sell something else like shrooms (magic mushrooms). Apart from that, some cops even dey come here to smoke and protect us.” 🚓🌿
But uncertainties for di law don make some dispensaries and “private members’ clubs” dey targeted by authorities. Di Haze Club (THC) for Johannesburg, a collective of cannabis growers, was raided in 2020, and legal proceedings still dey go on. 🌿👮
As speculation over di law increase last year, more and more dispensaries don open. “Dem don mushroom up in di last six months: more clubs and shops dey open than ever before, dem dey everywhere now,” another activist talk. 🌿🏢
Southern Africa get one of di world’s longest histories with cannabis, introduced by medieval Arab merchants. By di time Dutch settlers land for Cape Town in di mid-17th century, dem see di native Khoisan people dey puff di plant, wey dem call “dagga.” 🌿📜
Di weed get plenty uses: Zulu warriors smoke am to calm their nerves before battle and Sotho women use am for pain relief during childbirth. European settlers even begin cultivate di crop to keep their non-white workforce “happy.” 🌿🗡️
Colonists no too care about di natives smoking dagga, but in di 19th century, Indian laborers wey dem bring to work on sugarcane plantations dey smoke ganja, making di settlers believe say e dey make dem “lazy and insolent.” So, dem ban selling of dagga to Indians in 1870. 🚫🌿
Di tension increase as Black South Africans move to urban centers in di 1900s and fear grow that white working class too go start to smoke. By 1922, South Africa ban di sale, growth, and possession of di plant, calling for global ban. 🏙️🚫
Di war on dagga last until 2017, when di Western Cape High Court rule say di prohibition violate right to privacy. Di court set di government two-year deadline to rewrite di laws. Despite promises, di deadline was pushed back until last week when di law was finally signed. 📜🕊️
Although imperfect, di new law na start. Activists believe di fight now na to regulate trade and overcome perceptions that cannabis still dangerous. “Di government think say we dey smoke di leaves, but e no true,” one activist joke. 🌿😅
Steve Rolles, a policy analyst, believe South Africa’s cautious approach might help avoid problems like Thailand, where rapid legalization led to backlash. “Di careful regulatory proposals for South Africa mean we no go see di same problems wey Thailand experience,” he talk. 🇹🇭🌿
“This na first for Africa so we go wait and see how e go work,” Rolles add. While some African countries like Malawi and Ghana don legitimize medical marijuana, South Africa na di first to allow recreational use. Elsewhere, Morocco allow cannabis for medical and industrial purposes, and di public debate about full legalization dey hot. 🔥🇲🇦
Eswatini dey watch di developments closely. Cannabis, locally known as insangu, dey banned under British colonial-era law, but di government dey consider revising am. Smallholder farmers don survive by exporting insangu, including prized strain known as Swazi Gold. Now, developments for South Africa dey threaten their livelihood. 🇸🇿🌿
“We believe say di legalization of cannabis for South Africa don create unequal economic participation,” said Trevor Shongwe of di Eswatini Hemp and Cannabis Association. Di only way out, he believes, na for Eswatini to legitimize its domestic market and trademark its Swazi Gold strain. 🌿💰
Di fight for cannabis legalization for Africa just dey start. 🌍✊🏾
NOW IN BLACK AMERICAN SLANG
🇿🇦 South Africa Legalizes Weed: Will Other African Countries Follow? 🌿🌍
South Africans can now grow and use cannabis legally. The next step is making it legal to trade. The whole continent is watching. 👀🌍
Right before the May 27 elections, which saw the African National Congress lose its majority for the first time in 30 years, a big change to the country’s drug laws almost slipped through unnoticed. 🗳️🇿🇦
Just a day before the historic vote, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act, making South Africa the first African nation to legalize marijuana. The bill removes cannabis from the list of outlawed drugs, meaning adults can now grow and use the plant (except around kids). It also wipes the records of those who broke the law before. However, it’s still unclear how or when this will happen, or if any of the 3,000 people in prison for cannabis-related offenses will be released. 📜🔓
But after years of fighting and negotiating, activists say the battle isn’t over yet. ✊🏾🌿
Unlike other countries where weed is legal, like Malta, Canada, and Uruguay, you can’t legally buy it in South Africa unless you grow it yourself. Selling cannabis is still illegal unless it’s for medical purposes and prescribed by a doctor. 🚫💊
“If you get caught with a lot of weed that a cop thinks is too much for personal use, you can’t be charged as a dealer,” one activist explained. Basically, you can have a garden of weed in your backyard as long as you’re not selling it. Still, a big grey market already exists. 🌿🏡
The new law has been six years in the making. After a 2018 court ruling that private use of cannabis was constitutional, the government was told to create legislation to legalize it within two years. Since then, shops and dispensaries have been selling weed under Section 21 of the Medicines Act, which allows for “unregistered medicines” if prescribed by a doctor. 🏥📜
“We don’t get any trouble from the cops at all,” one dispensary owner in Durban said. “Only if you’re selling to underage kids or selling something other than weed, like shrooms (magic mushrooms). Some cops even come here to smoke and protect us.” 🚓🌿
But unclear laws have led to some dispensaries and “private members’ clubs” being targeted by authorities. The Haze Club (THC) in Johannesburg, a group of cannabis growers, was raided in 2020, and legal proceedings are still ongoing. 🌿👮
As the law gained attention last year, more dispensaries opened. “They’ve been popping up everywhere in the last six months: more clubs and shops than ever before,” another activist said. 🌿🏢
Southern Africa has one of the longest histories with cannabis, introduced by medieval Arab merchants. By the time Dutch settlers landed in Cape Town in the mid-17th century, they found the native Khoisan people smoking the plant, which they called “dagga.” 🌿📜
Weed had many uses: Zulu warriors smoked it to calm their nerves before battle, and Sotho women used it for pain relief during childbirth. European settlers even started growing it to keep their non-white workers “happy.” 🌿🗡️
Colonists didn’t care much about the natives smoking dagga, but in the 19th century, Indian laborers who were brought to work on sugarcane plantations smoked ganja, making the settlers believe it made them “lazy and insolent.” So, they banned selling dagga to Indians in 1870. 🚫🌿
Tension increased as Black South Africans moved to urban areas in the 1900s, and fears grew that the white working class would start smoking too. By 1922, South Africa banned the sale, growth, and possession of the plant, calling for a global ban. 🏙️🚫
The war on dagga lasted until 2017, when the Western Cape High Court ruled that the prohibition violated the right to privacy. The court gave the government a two-year deadline to rewrite the laws. Despite promises, the deadline was pushed back until last week when the law was finally signed. 📜🕊️
Although imperfect, the new law is a start. Activists believe the fight now is to regulate trade and change perceptions that cannabis is still dangerous. “The government thinks we smoke the leaves, but that’s not true,” one activist joked. 🌿😅
Steve Rolles, a policy analyst, believes South Africa’s cautious approach might help avoid problems like Thailand, where quick legalization led to backlash. “The careful regulatory proposals in South Africa mean we won’t see the same problems Thailand experienced,” he said. 🇹🇭🌿
“This is a first for Africa, so we need to see how it works out,” Rolles added. While some African countries like Malawi and Ghana have legalized medical marijuana, South Africa is the first to allow recreational use. Elsewhere, Morocco allowed cannabis for medical and industrial purposes, and the debate about full legalization is heating up. 🔥🇲🇦
Eswatini is watching closely. Cannabis, known locally as insangu, is banned under British colonial-era law, but the government is considering changing it. Small farmers have survived by exporting insangu, including a prized strain known as Swazi Gold. Now, developments in South Africa threaten their livelihood. 🇸🇿🌿
“We believe the legalization of cannabis in South Africa has created unequal economic participation,” said Trevor Shongwe of the Eswatini Hemp and Cannabis Association. The only way out, he believes, is for Eswatini to legitimize its domestic market and trademark its Swazi Gold strain. 🌿💰
The fight for cannabis legalization in Africa is just beginning. 🌍✊🏾
NOW IN ENGLISH
🇿🇦 South Africa Legalizes Weed: Will Other African Countries Follow? 🌿🌍
It’s now legal for South Africans to grow and use cannabis. The next battle is to make it legal to trade. The whole continent is watching. 👀🌍
On the eve of the May 27 general elections, which saw the ruling African National Congress lose its majority for the first time in 30 years of South African democracy, a major change to the country’s drug laws passed through, almost unnoticed by most people. 🗳️🇿🇦
Just one day before the historic vote, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act, making South Africa the first African nation to legalize the use of marijuana. The bill removes cannabis from the list of outlawed drugs, meaning adults are now free to grow and use the plant (except in front of children). The bill also states that those who broke the law before should have their records wiped clean. However, it’s still unclear how or when this will happen, or if any of the 3,000 people in prison for cannabis-related offenses as of 2022 will be released. 📜🔓
But after years of campaigning and negotiations, activists say the fight is not over yet. ✊🏾🌿
Unlike other countries where cannabis has been legalized, like Malta, Canada, and Uruguay, it’s still not possible to legally buy it in South Africa unless you grow it yourself. Selling cannabis remains illegal unless it’s for medicinal purposes and prescribed by a doctor. 🚫💊
“What the bill effectively does is if you get caught with some amount of cannabis that a policeman thinks is too much for personal use, you can’t be charged as a drug dealer,” one activist explained. In other words, it’s fine to have a garden of weed in your backyard, as long as you don’t sell it. Still, a huge grey market already exists. 🌿🏡
The new law has been six years in the making. After a 2018 court ruling that private consumption of cannabis was constitutional, the government was told to prepare legislation that would legalize it within two years. Since then, shops and dispensaries have been selling the drug under Section 21 of the Medicines Act, which allows for “unregistered medicines” if prescribed by a doctor. 🏥📜
“We don’t have any trouble from the cops at all,” one dispensary owner in Durban said. “Only if you’re selling to underage kids or selling something other than weed, like some places sell shrooms (magic mushrooms). Apart from that, some cops even come here to smoke and protect us.” 🚓🌿
But uncertainties in the law have led to some dispensaries and “private members’ clubs” being targeted by authorities. The Haze Club (THC) in Johannesburg, a collective of cannabis growers, was raided in 2020, and legal proceedings are still ongoing. 🌿👮
As speculation over the law increased last year, more and more dispensaries have opened. “They’ve mushroomed up in the last six months: more clubs and shops opening than ever before, they’re everywhere now,” another activist said. 🌿🏢
Southern Africa has one of the world’s longest histories with cannabis, introduced by medieval Arab merchants. By the time Dutch settlers landed in Cape Town in the mid-17th century, they found the native Khoisan people smoking the plant, which they called “dagga.” 🌿📜
The weed had many uses: Zulu warriors smoked it to calm their nerves before battle, and Sotho women used it for pain relief during childbirth. European settlers even began cultivating the crop to keep their non-white workforce “happy.” 🌿🗡️
Colonists didn’t care much about the natives smoking dagga, but in the 19th century, Indian laborers who were brought to work on sugarcane plantations smoked ganja, making the settlers believe it made them “lazy and insolent.” So, they banned selling dagga to Indians in 1870. 🚫🌿
Tension increased as Black South Africans moved to urban centers in the 1900s, and fear grew that the white working class would start to smoke too. By 1922, South Africa banned the sale, growth, and possession of the plant, calling for a global ban. 🏙️🚫
The war on dagga lasted until 2017, when the Western Cape High Court ruled that the prohibition violated the right to privacy. The court set the government a two-year deadline to rewrite the laws. Despite promises, the deadline was pushed back until last week when the law was finally signed. 📜🕊️
Although imperfect, the new law is a start. Activists believe the fight now is to regulate trade and overcome perceptions that cannabis is still dangerous. “The government thinks we smoke the leaves, but it’s not true,” one activist joked. 🌿😅
Steve Rolles, a policy analyst, believes South Africa’s cautious approach might help avoid problems like Thailand, where rapid legalization led to backlash. “The careful regulatory proposals in South Africa mean we won’t see the same problems Thailand experienced,” he said. 🇹🇭🌿
“This is a first for Africa, so we will need to wait and see how well it works,” Rolles added. While some African countries like Malawi and Ghana have legitimized medical marijuana, South Africa is the first to allow recreational use. Elsewhere, Morocco allowed cannabis for medical and industrial purposes, and the public debate about full legalization is heating up. 🔥🇲🇦
Eswatini is watching the developments closely. Cannabis, locally known as insangu, is banned under British colonial-era law, but the government is considering revising it. Smallholder farmers have survived by exporting insangu, including a prized strain known as Swazi Gold. Now, developments in South Africa threaten their livelihood. 🇸🇿🌿
“We believe the legalization of cannabis in South Africa has created unequal economic participation,” said Trevor Shongwe of the Eswatini Hemp and Cannabis Association. The only way out, he believes, is for Eswatini to legitimize its domestic market and trademark its Swazi Gold strain. 🌿💰
The fight for cannabis legalization in Africa is just beginning. 🌍✊🏾
