Well, it looks like the cannabis party just got shut down—at least for now. The Department of Health recently dropped a bombshell on South Africa: the sale, importation, and production of cannabis-infused food products, hemp seed oil, and hemp seed flour have officially been banned. And, as you can imagine, South Africans are not having it.
The news, which was gazetted on March 7, has left many scratching their heads. Businesses in the cannabis industry are scrambling for answers, while consumers are voicing their frustration online.
Some are totally confused about what this means for the future of cannabis in the country, especially with the growing interest in hemp-based products.
On social media, South’ Africans’Uhs have been flooding timelines with mixed reactions. Some are taking to Twitter to express their outrage:
They could’ve used that edibles money to make kaizer chiefs great again 💔
a_m_mchlsn
@gautenghealth so when are you going to address the food poisoning crisis that’s taking away the CHILDREN in public schools?
its_simply_naledi
You’re focused on banning a substance that has proven to lessen pain in arthritic patients , cancer patients and people with Alzheimer’s. But you’re allowing KIDS and school teachers to DIE because of non approved products being sold past expiry????
@HealthZA Has Aaron Motsoaledi lost it completely? Cannabis is legal in South Africa and the minister cannot act unilaterally without consultation. Even @CyrilRamaphosa has supported the development of the Cannabis Industries in 🇿🇦.
— McDuff 🏴🇮🇱🇿🇦 (@1967FAGC) March 14, 2025
The South African minister of health just banned hemp in food. What a retard, I wonder how much big pharma paid him ? We wrote a letter to the president pic.twitter.com/du55SO24pE
— Trenton Birch (@trentonfreerad) March 12, 2025
Others are more concerned about the potential economic fallout. The cannabis industry has been a source of income and opportunity for many, and the sudden ban has left many worried about jobs and business closures.
Isn't this the responsibility of the Trade&Industry minister?
— Lyle (🌸, 🌿) (@lylethedev) March 13, 2025
With shops like CannAfrica doing so well, plenty of people have opened up similar businesses, pay taxes, and provided employment to people. It would be a stupid thing to ban it
Despite the pushback, authorities have made it clear that any individual or company caught selling or producing the banned products will face serious legal consequences. Whether this ban is temporary or the start of a long-term crackdown is still unclear, but it’s definitely rattling the cannabis community.
For now, it seems like South Africans are left in limbo, wondering what the future holds for cannabis in the country. Will the ban be lifted? Or is this just the beginning of stricter regulations?
Main Image: Silver Therapeutics
