Last year, the news that cannabis had been decriminalised for private, personal use was very well-received.

That still left the somewhat grey area of cannabidiol (CBD), a compound derived from cannabis that’s proving very popular in a wide range of products, especially CBD oils.

Thankfully, according to an update provided late last week by the Department of Health, the legalities around CBD just became far clearer.

Before we go, a quick clarification – THC is the psychoactive component of cannabis (what makes you gebak), whereas CBD is not associated with psychoactive outcomes.

Here’s the legal status update via Business Insider SA:

For the next 12 months at least “preparations” containing CBD will fall entirely outside the scheduling system that controls drugs in South Africa…That makes such CBD preparations legal to sell – by anyone, not just pharmacists – without prescription…

 The exemption comes with two conditions: the maximum daily dose of CBD must be 20 milligrams or less, and the product can not claim to cure or treat any specific condition. It may only advertise “general health enhancement”, or “health maintenance”, or promise “relief of minor symptoms”, as long as those symptoms are not linked to a disease or disorder.

Alternatively, manufacturers and retailers can also claim the protection of the exemption for products made “from cannabis raw plant material and processed products” as long as no extra CBD is added, and the final product contains only a tiny fraction of CBD (0.0075%) and a maximum of 0.001% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive in marijuana.

Unless renewed, the exemption will expire on 15 May 2020.

Whilst that might not sound like such a big deal, it’s actually a massive shift from the policy that came before it, where the special dispensation required meant that only 56 people in South Africa had full legal protection.

Now that the floodgates have opened, there are a number of companies punting their wares online, although Seth swears by Superb CBD.

They even have a handy flavour range to choose from:

Don’t worry, purists – there’s also a plain flavour if granadilla, kiwi or mint aren’t your jam.

So what comes next for South Africa’s burgeoning cannabis industry? Here’s BusinessTech:

“The changes have the potential to give rise to a significant expansion in the sphere of commercialisation of CBD related products – which commercialisation has, to date, been severely curtailed by the strict requirements applicable to schedule 7 substances.

“Whilst cannabis itself, as well as THC related products, continue to be strictly regulated, the notices arguably represent a shift in the perception on the role of cannabis-based substances in South Africa, particularly with reference to the medical relevance of such substances,” [Helen Michael – a director in the Healthcare & Life Sciences practice at Werksmans] said.

About bloody time, too.

[sources:businsider&bustech]