Cannabis industry leaders are fuming after the sudden and unexpected ban on cannabis and hemp-derived edibles. This comes after the Department of Health backpedaled on its decision to allow the cannabis food industry to grow and boost the economy.
Friday 7 March 2025, the department quietly gazetted a ban on the manufacture, importation and sale of all cannabis-infused food products, hemp seed oil, and hemp seed flour. The widely criticised u-turn contradicts the Constitutional Court’s 2018 ruling to decriminalize marijuana. It appears that while people are allowed to grow, smoke and possess cannabis, they are now prohibited from consuming this as a food product.
The Apex Court’s ruling has seen many businesses pop up with the use of cannabis foodstuffs gaining more popularity, not only for recreational use but also for its medicinal benefits. Consumers are now desperately seeking answers from the government and Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi. According to the government gazette, the regulations prohibits the sale, importation and manufacture of foodstuffs which contains any part of the cannabis plant or a component thereof.
Cannabliss founder, Frank Rosen (74) said he is aggrieved by the about turn. Rosen’s thriving business includes stores in Claremont and Plumstead where he sells brownies, gummies, candy floss, fudge and a variety of other related food products. Rosen is a bladder cancer survivor who credits his cannabis use for the restoration of his health. He said he is ready to protest.
“You know, I have been in this industry for a long time so I have had an amazing amount of feedback already from people around the country, and the industry is angry and bitter, so there’s going to be a huge backlash on this,” Rosen expressed.
When Smile 90.4 FM contacted the Department of Health, spokesperson Foster Mohale shed light on the reasons behind the sudden change.
‘IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC HEALTH SAFETY’
“There are a number of concerns with the use of cannabis in foods from a safety perspectives because the food control legislation in South Africa does not make provision for pre-market approval for food containing cannabis. The notice is part of government efforts to protect the consumers from unregulated food containing cannabis. The objective of the notice is to regulate the use of cannabis in foodstuffs through pre-approval process for manufacturers to disclose the amount and quantity of cannabis included on the food for consumers to make their food choices. The current regulations on foodstuffs (under Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act) do not cover the use of cannabis in food. So in the interest of public health safety we want these products to be assessed by SAHPRA before being authorised for sale. Remember the incident of 90 learners in Soshanguve who were hospitalised after allegedly consuming muffins laced with dagga which had been bought from a street vendor in September 2023,” Mohale explained.
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