Motsoaledi admits not consulting before ban on cannabis products

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has admitted that he didn’t consult when he gazetted regulations last month, banning the manufacture, sale and import of food products with  cannabis and hemp.

The Presidency later reversed the decision. The minister insists that as a medical doctor, his initial decision was rational, considering the negative effects of cannabis on children.

He says he was concerned that the majority of cannabis products in South Africa were imported from Europe, the US and the Netherlands and were not regulated by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAPHRA).

“Remember there’s no medicine that can be sold officially in the country that can go into your body before it can be accredited by South African Products Health Regulatory Authority (SAPHRA).

And we have known that. Now, all of sudden out of the blue, you see popcorn, chocolate, lolly pops. You know everything and especially products that we know are consumed mostly by young people. That was scary for me. Because we know some people believe there’s nothing wrong with cannabis. I know because I work in health, I can tell you.”

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