Looks like it’s not only Constantia residents and elite private school pupils getting involved in the lucrative dagga business.

You can now buy dagga with your oranges and avos on the N2 from Butterworth to Mthatha and East London.

This enterprise has been pioneered by members of the local Rastafarian community, who see the recent relaxation on marijuana laws as an economic opportunity.

So far the business is being carried out openly, reports GroundUp, and municipal law enforcement officials have done nothing to stop it.

This might have something to do with the weed-positivity coming from local government.

In his maiden state of the province address in June, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said government was investigating cannabis as an economic stimulant.

“We cannot be missing in action when our province is endowed with a crop that can be ploughed and processed to make medicinal products and create jobs for our people,” he said.

He spoke of creating “cannabis value chains in a manner that ensures inclusion”.

Just a quick reminder –  personal and private use of marijuana has been decriminalised, but selling it is still against the law.

The people selling dagga along the N2 told GroundUp that they understood that Mabuyane has promised to legalise the selling of dagga and allow people to plant it to create jobs.

Spokesperson for the premier Mvuyisiwekhaya Sicwetsha was tactful when asked to comment. He said that Mabuyane understands the interest of the public in the matter but he calls on every person to work within the law.

GroundUp met five members of the Rastafarian community on the N2. They kept dagga in lunch boxes, some of it parceled in small packets, and possibly also the backpacks they were carrying. They traded in the open (we saw them selling it to learners as well).

One of the sellers said that he had been selling since June, following Mabuyane’s address.

He makes about R1,000 a week and it supports his wife and three children.

“I plant the dagga at home and come to sell it here. We are making money just like the other vendors who are selling sweets and fruit,” he said.

“Not everyone is against us. There are vendors who support us and when the law enforcement officials come to arrest us they stop them. We are now selling freely,” he said.

Not everyone is thrilled about it, though.

Street vendor Nosiseko Falipi, who sells fruit and sweets and sews traditional dresses, said: “They are making a lot of money … This matter was reported to the municipal police since they patrol the town now … We were hoping that they would come up with a solution but they have failed.”

Police spokesperson Captain Jackson Manatha said: “We are not aware of this and anyone with information should contact the police.”

Nosiseko Falipi said that she did contact the police, so there’s a bit of a disconnect there.

As more and more people get on board with the decriminalisation of marijuana, especially for medical use, we have seen a boom in investment in the industry.

This could negatively impact communities that have been relying on illicit dagga cash crops for decades, like those in Eastern Cape villages.

[source:groundup]