Page 94 - Daggabay Magazine Issue 9

Fields of Green for ALL • Collectively Reforming South African Cannabis Laws
4.3 Women & Gender Equality In A Legally
Regulated Market
Achieving gender equality and the empowerment
of women is a major challenge in our country, and
is a condition of any modern, sustainable society. resources; better mental health; reduced time
Women own fewer assets (in terms of land,
livestock, or human capital), and have less access
to inputs (seeds, fertiliser, labour, finance) and
services (training, insurance, etc.) than men.
To further complicate things, equal access to
resources does not guarantee equal returns
for women farmers. Research has shown that
empowering women can lead to improvements in
4.4 Recognition & Differentiation Of Medical
& Adult Uses
Cannabis policies in South Africa have been
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structured around two different kinds of uses:
the medical use on the one hand (recognised
by the Government in 2016) and adult use as a
personal right on the other hand. Future Cannabis
regulations must acknowledge the intersection
of the two and acknowledge the urgent need for
education and training across the board.
Medical uses
Education of healthcare providers remains a
pivotal issue here. Certain Cannabis extracts will
be registered as medicines and become available
through conventional medical supply chains.
However, no patient should be hindered from
50 CANNABIS IN SOUTH AFRICA • THE PEOPLE’S PLANT • A Full-Spectrum Manifesto For Policy Reform
their status both inside and outside the household
– including greater control over household
constraints; and increased access to financial
services. Women’s empowerment also leads to
better health care, skills development, income
earning opportunities, information about markets
and legal rights – all of which may, in turn,
positively impact agricultural productivity, nutrition
and food security.
accessing treatment via other supply streams –
self-medication via home cultivation, access to
traditional healers’ Cannabis formulations, Dagga
Private Clubs or traditional informal providers.
“With the rise of adult-use Cannabis, experts see
medicinal marijuana dominated by two distinct
markets: wellness products and government-approved
medicines’’ – Omar Sacirbey
Regardless of the age limit for adult use, minors
that need Cannabis or Cannabis products for a
medical condition cannot be refused treatment
or access because of their age. Physicians must
be trained to address specific recommended
formulations for younger patients.