South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed into law the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act (“CfPPA”).
The CfPPA regulates the cultivation, possession, and use of recreational cannabis by adults in a private setting.
“The consequent regulatory reform enabled by the CfPPA will, amongst others, entirely remove cannabis from the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act”, states a press release sent by the president’s office. “This will further enable amendment of the Schedules to the Medicines and Related Substances Act and provide for targeted regulatory reform of the Plant Breeders Rights Act and the Plant Improvement Act, as well as other pieces of legislation that require amendment to allow for the industrialization of the cannabis sector.”
The Bill further “guides the medically prescribed administration of cannabis to a child while also protecting children from undue exposure to cannabis”, and it “provides for an alternative manner by which to address the issue of the prohibited use, possession of, or dealing in, cannabis by children, with due regard to the best interest of the child. It also prohibit the dealing in cannabis.”
The National Assembly gave approval to the legislation in November, with the National Council of Provinces giving approval in February.
South Africa now joins just a handful of states —including Canada and Uruguay— that allow legal marijuana possession and cultivation.
