Page 106 - Daggabay Magazine Issue 9

Fields of Green for ALL • Collectively Reforming South African Cannabis Laws
5.1.1.2 Standardising The Operations Of Dagga Private Clubs
During 2019 and especially 2020, South Africa
experienced an intense growth in newly
established Dagga Private Clubs. These entities
did not necessarily understand the purposes of
the model and used the term “Dagga Private
Club” as an attempt to legitimise the sale of
Cannabis. This led to the formation of the
National Operational and Quality Standard for
Dagga Private Clubs .
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The aim of this National Standard is to
provide Clubs with a framework to operate
as practically as possible, while protecting
its community’s socio-economic needs and
responding adequately to changing conditions
that might impact on its operations. The
Standard specifies requirements that enable a
Club to achieve the intended outcomes it sets
for its Constitutional Framework – the system
that contains all the Recorded Information to
legitimise the Club’s actions.
This Standard can be used when a Club is
initially set up to guide the Club in designing
its operations. Once the Constitutional
Framework has been designed, it can be used
to govern the Club’s actions and keep it true to
its purpose.
A systematic approach to operational
management can provide the founders of the
Club with information to build success over the
long term and create options for contributing
to sustainable development by:
• First and foremostly, providing a safe
environment for its community to practise
its right to privacy;
• Protecting and actively contributing to the
community by adopting a cause;
• Assisting the Club in the fulfillment of
compliance obligations;
• Enhancing operational efficiency;
• Controlling or influencing the way the Club’s
supply is planned, produced, distributed,
consumed and managed by using a life
cycle perspective;
• Communicating operational information to
relevant stakeholders.
The Standard discusses the following elements,
amongst others:
62 CANNABIS IN SOUTH AFRICA • THE PEOPLE’S PLANT • A Full-Spectrum Manifesto For Policy Reform
5.1.1.2.1 interpretations Of The Dagga Private
Club model
The DPC model can be interpreted in different ways
which cater to different socio-economic classes
in South Africa. The following are some of these
interpretations, however it may not be limited to
these interpretations only:
informal Club
The Informal Dagga Private Club consists of 30
members or less. It remains an unregistered entity
as long as the Club experiences no growth. The Club
should still keep meticulous records relating to supply
and distribution.
Digital Club
A digital Dagga Private Club is a registered Non-Profit
entity with more than 30 members that follow a
formalised system. It operates only digitally and not
from a physical location. Physical interaction between
members is limited, but not discouraged. Digital
Clubs can still offer events or workshops to members,
although all operational activities take place online
and on a platform that requires members to
authenticate themselves.
Caregivers’ Club
The Caregivers Club is a registered Non-Profit entity
with more than 30 members that follow a formalised
system. This model aims to include the older
generation who have been exposed to the healing
and soothing properties of Cannabis and want to
use the product as part of an informal medicinal
routine. While it does not subscribe to any medicinal
regulations, it is mostly the user’s intention for
consuming Cannabis which sets this Club apart.
Venue-based Club
A venue-based Dagga Private Club has one of two
options. It could have a building or physical location
dedicated to the Club. Such a venue would only
be accessible by registered members of the Club
and should not be open to non-members, except
stakeholders with an active interest in the venue.
Alternatively, a Club may operate from a public
venue, with a private section that is not accessible
to non-members. Measures must be put in place to
ensure that non-members are not able to enter the
members’ area.