South Africa is on a short list of countries that have adopted national adult-use cannabis legalization measures. In 2018, South Africa’s Constitutional Court rendered a landmark legal decision that struck down the nation’s cannabis prohibition law as it pertained to private individual cannabis activity.

Part of the decision tasked South Africa’s lawmakers with drafting new laws within two years to reflect the order. However, it took longer for the Court’s decision to be codified: South Africa officially approved a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure in 2024, placing it on the list of legalized nations alongside Uruguay, Canada, Malta, Luxembourg, and Germany at the time. Czechia has also since adopted a national adult-use legalization measure.

South Africa’s Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development recently published a draft regulatory proposal that would officially set the limits for adult-use cannabis cultivation and possession limits. The proposed regulations would involve the following:

• Setting a cannabis cultivation limit at “five cannabis plants at a private residence at any time, regardless of the plant’s size or strain.”
• Setting a cannabis possession limit for adults of “to 750g of cannabis per day for private use, whether in a private or public place.”
• Allowing adults to “transport no more than 750g of cannabis per day, including cannabis still attached to the plant.”

While setting personal limits for adult-use cannabis cultivation and possession have made recent strides, setting up adult-use cannabis industry regulations has proven to be a harder task for officials in South Africa. The government is reportedly launching a push to accelerate the drafting and implementation of industry regulations.

“The government is accelerating efforts to develop a commercially viable cannabis and hemp industry, positioning the sector as a potential driver of economic growth, job creation and rural development.” reported IOL in its local coverage. “This emerged during a parliamentary briefing on Friday where the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), alongside the departments of agriculture and health, outlined progress on the National Cannabis Master Plan and the Hemp and Cannabis Commercialisation Strategy.”

“The plan aims to provide a broad framework for the development of the cannabis industry while ensuring inclusive participation, particularly for rural communities that have historically cultivated the crop.” the outlet also reported.

A government-backed study in South Africa recently found that a well-developed domestic industrial hemp market could be worth up to $2.5 billion.

“The study, commissioned by the Localisation Support Fund (LSF) with the Presidency, the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic), outlines a roadmap for turning hemp into a new industrial input across multiple sectors. The work builds on policy ambitions laid out under South Africa’s 2021 National Cannabis Master Plan, which set out a strategy for hemp and marijuana development.” reported HempToday.

“Industrial hemp represents a strategic opportunity to diversify South Africa’s industrial base, deepen manufacturing value chains and strengthen rural economies,” said Irshaad Kathrada, chief executive of the Localisation Support Fund, according to the media report.