Page 137 - Daggabay Magazine Issue 9

Fields of Green for ALL • Collectively Reforming South African Cannabis Laws

5.5.11 Foreign Investment

To avoid foreign investment jeopardising South will restrict and redirect foreign investment to
African stakeholders and people involved in the support industries, instead of direct cultivation
current Cannabis economy, two elements are and retail industries. The most needed areas,
critical. where foreign investment would be allowed
during the moratorium, are:
Firstly, all companies involved in Cannabis-
related activities must be at least 51% owned • Testing and product analysis;
by national capital. • Education and training;
• Machinery and infrastructure;
Secondly, during the first five years of
implementation of the reforms, a moratorium • Tech support and IT development.

5.5.12 Import & Export

The economic potential of the Cannabis export order to foster a spirit of reconciliation between
market is significant, but given the current communities who have been vilified by their
discrepancies in legalisation models across the governments for so long. This will also go some
world, trade agreements with countries that way towards curtailing the potential for large
have legalised or partially legalised Cannabis will corporations to have a monopoly in the export
have to be carefully thought out and tailored market. If WPP Cannabis exports for adult use
to each specific agreement. In an ideal world, it were to happen, they would transit through
would be significant if community development the Hubs, monitored by the OmBUDsman. This
projects with compatible countries could partner provision would need to be carefully debated in
with similar projects in South Africa to foster the setting up of Hubs and in consultation with
knowledge exchange and mutual economic the relevant experts, in order to combat anti-
benefit. These types of export agreements competitive behaviour.
could be subject to preferential treatment in

CANNABIS IN SOUTH AFRICA • THE PEOPLE’S PLANT • A Full-Spectrum Manifesto For Policy Reform 93