President Cyril Ramaphosa reshuffled his executive last week. File picture: GCIS/ELMOND JIYANE
Replying to a question by NCOP MP for the DA Carin Visser, said 83 cannabis licences, four manufacturing licences and 30 research permits have been issued by the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority since 2022. The Department of Agriculture, land reform and rural development had issued 371 hemp permits.
“We are moving to create the conditions for the sector to grow,” he said in his February speech. “Urgent work is being finalised by government to create an enabling regulatory framework for a whole plant, all legitimate purposes approach for complementary medicines, food, cosmetics and industrial products aligned to international conventions and best practices.”