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Displaying the 30 latest comments.
Submitted | first-name | support | concern | top-concern | message |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2026-04-13 18:36:31 +02:00 | Gerardus | No I do not | All of the above | Possession Limits | |
2026-04-13 08:30:30 +02:00 | Matt | No I do not | Vague Wording & Police Harassment | ||
2026-04-12 19:29:32 +02:00 | Reynaldo | No I do not | All of the above | Plant Cultivation Limits | |
2026-04-07 22:19:05 +02:00 | Andre | No I do not | All of the above | Expungement Process | |
2026-04-02 12:12:01 +02:00 | Glenn | No I do not | Transportation Rules & Privacy | ||
2026-03-30 08:58:01 +02:00 | Mike | Not fully | Plant Cultivation Limits | I feel the cultivation limit of 5 plants is way too low. Regarding the proposed rule RE transport, disclosure and 750g is fair and realistic. | |
2026-03-29 22:44:09 +02:00 | jacqueline | No I do not | Transportation Rules & Privacy | i have collon cancer no income if i plant by my house 5 planrs are not enough and i cant drive so i have to ask someone to help me and buy enough stock to last so i don't have to drive and petrol cost for far cant afford it | |
2026-03-26 14:39:25 +02:00 | Sarah | Not fully | Regulatory Overreach | Sale should be legal as the draft prejudices people without access to land or skills for cultivation | |
2026-03-25 06:26:40 +02:00 | Natanya | No I do not | All of the above | Vague Wording & Police Harassment | Nothing about this should be legal. With it being available just about everywhere, what about the danger everyone on the roads, driving and walking, are being put into with those driving under the influence? |
2026-03-24 14:53:20 +02:00 | Magda | No I do not | All of the above | Possession Limits | I do not agree that it should be legitimate. I have been to a hospital where so many people were addicted to cannabis and alcohol, and what it did to them and their families. They were mostly divorced and lost their children. I was involved with an addicted person, and it was a nightmare. They lose the ability to show love or empathy and are so controlled by the addiction that they can't wait to get a hit, so the relationship doesn't matter anymore. The personality change while under the influence of cannabis was horrible, and I wouldn't want anybody to go through that. With the cannabis use comes alcohol, pornography as well as pain pills and grandpas. Also, energy drinks and energy boosters. It ruined my relationship and me. I landed in the hospital for trauma and ptsd from the mental abuse and cruel treatment. |
2026-03-24 06:43:59 +02:00 | Lorna | No I do not | No concern, I Support the Gazette | ||
2026-03-22 02:35:52 +02:00 | Philippa | No I do not | Possession Limits | Regulatory Overreach | |
2026-03-21 07:50:56 +02:00 | Elizabeth ( Betty ) | No I do not | Regulatory Overreach | ||
2026-03-20 10:04:24 +02:00 | John | No I do not | Other | ||
2026-03-20 07:55:24 +02:00 | Thozamile J | Yes I do | No concern, I Support the Gazette | ||
2026-03-20 06:29:40 +02:00 | Thokoza | Yes I do | All of the above | Plant Cultivation Limits | |
2026-03-19 04:39:51 +02:00 | Heinrich | No I do not | All of the above | Vague Wording & Police Harassment | |
2026-03-18 17:32:28 +02:00 | Berni Zander | No I do not | Socio-Economic Discrimination | The ANC is drafting these regulations in such a way that no one else except connected cadres are able to enter into the market. Cannabis is a means to an end to free the average citizen from the chains of poverty. Cannabis has over 50 000 different uses. | |
2026-03-18 14:19:01 +02:00 | Elza | No I do not | All of the above | Possession Limits | It is to controll the citizens of South Africa. |
2026-03-18 12:16:22 +02:00 | Patience | No I do not | Other | Cannabis is a risk to mental health and should be prohibited from its cultivation and possession. There is no guarantee of safety in its cultivation, transportation and use. It possession a danger of an increase in drug abuse in a society already paralyzed by a failure to control drug loads and a system captured from policing the Cartels distributing these dangerous drugs. If a container load can be stolen from responsible authorities, how much more ordinary trucks, and drivers will be able to cover, protect and deliver safely cannabis. We have heard almost on daily basis, of carjacking, cash in transit heists of which it's as a result of untrusted Security, inside jobs or insufficient Security personnel and poor Police response in cases like these, thereby in my opinion think that the cannabis matter will add more problems in our already suffering communities by increasing criminal activities and corruption among us which have already tone apart our humanity as a Nation. There are very few medical issues that need cannabis as a treatment if statistics can be carried out sincerely without campaigning for business as usual with the cannabis issue that we should have fields and truck loads of it run in different corners of this country. | |
2026-03-18 12:16:20 +02:00 | Patience | No I do not | Other | Cannabis is a risk to mental health and should be prohibited from its cultivation and possession. There is no guarantee of safety in its cultivation, transportation and use. It possession a danger of an increase in drug abuse in a society already paralyzed by a failure to control drug loads and a system captured from policing the Cartels distributing these dangerous drugs. If a container load can be stolen from responsible authorities, how much more ordinary trucks, and drivers will be able to cover, protect and deliver safely cannabis. We have heard almost on daily basis, of carjacking, cash in transit heists of which it's as a result of untrusted Security, inside jobs or insufficient Security personnel and poor Police response in cases like these, thereby in my opinion think that the cannabis matter will add more problems in our already suffering communities by increasing criminal activities and corruption among us which have already tone apart our humanity as a Nation. There are very few medical issues that need cannabis as a treatment if statistics can be carried out sincerely without campaigning for business as usual with the cannabis issue that we should have fields and truck loads of it run in different corners of this country. | |
2026-03-18 11:38:57 +02:00 | Shanin | Not fully | Other | The practical enforceability of the proposed cannabis legislation raises serious concerns. While the Bill permits personal use within private dwellings under defined limits, there is no realistic or constitutional mechanism for the State to monitor or enforce compliance in private spaces without infringing on fundamental rights. This creates an immediate enforcement gap. In a country already facing significant challenges related to drug abuse, organised crime, and constrained policing resources, the distinction between lawful private use and unlawful commercial activity becomes increasingly blurred in practice. Of greater concern is the visible and ongoing failure to enforce existing laws prohibiting the commercial sale of cannabis. Numerous outlets continue to operate openly and in contravention of the law, with little to no intervention. This undermines the rule of law and erodes public confidence in regulatory oversight. The impact on minors is particularly alarming. There is growing evidence of underage exposure and access in environments where enforcement is absent. The normalization of cannabis use, combined with weak enforcement against illegal distribution, significantly reduces deterrence and increases the risk to vulnerable groups. In its current form, the legislation risks being unenforceable in key aspects and may inadvertently contribute to increased exposure and access among minors. Without demonstrable enforcement capacity and clear regulatory controls over illegal trade, the objectives of the Bill are unlikely to be achieved. It is therefore imperative that enforcement mechanisms, protection of minors, and accountability measures be clearly addressed before implementation. | |
2026-03-18 10:25:55 +02:00 | Rhona | Not fully | Other | If it is currently still illegal to sell cannabis in South Africa,why are there so many cannabolic shops all over the country. If it is legal only for medicinal use it should only be available at hospitals and pharmacies. People allready abuse the law and there are very little consequences Legalizing cannabis in any way will create bigger social dilemmas in a country allready having so many unemployment, and unemployable ,skilled people. Social and economic problems will just increase. | |
2026-03-18 10:25:54 +02:00 | Rhona | Not fully | Other | If it is currently still illegal to sell cannabis in South Africa,why are there so many cannabolic shops all over the country. If it is legal only for medicinal use it should only be available at hospitals and pharmacies. People allready abuse the law and there are very little consequences Legalizing cannabis in any way will create bigger social dilemmas in a country allready having so many unemployment, and unemployable ,skilled people. Social and economic problems will just increase. | |
2026-03-17 13:18:09 +02:00 | Frik | Yes I do | No concern, I Support the Gazette | ||
2026-03-17 11:54:47 +02:00 | Adrian | No I do not | All of the above | Transportation Rules & Privacy | |
2026-03-17 10:27:49 +02:00 | Linda | No I do not | All of the above | Expungement Process | |
2026-03-17 10:26:40 +02:00 | Pierre | No I do not | All of the above | Regulatory Overreach | I do not agree with anything this present regime wants to do. All their issues are not about a better SA, but enticing the uneducated to vote for them. |
2026-03-17 07:51:14 +02:00 | Andries | No I do not | All of the above | Regulatory Overreach | |
2026-03-17 07:50:25 +02:00 | Joana | No I do not | Possession Limits |
Those who support the draft regulations as they stand argue the following:
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- Legal Certainty and Protection: For years, the lack of defined limits meant that arrests were left to the subjective discretion of individual police officers. Supporters argue that setting firm limits (750g and 5 plants) provides absolute legal certainty, protecting citizens from arbitrary arrest as long as they stay within the thresholds.
- A Vital Step Toward Promulgation: Without these regulations, the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act remains largely theoretical. Supporters point out that finalising these rules is the mandatory final step required to remove THC from the strict narcotics schedule under the Drugs Act.
- International Benchmarking: The Department of Justice notes that the limits were developed by considering what reasonably constitutes private use, looking at the yields of cannabis plants, and aligning with international benchmarks for public safety.
- A Clear Path for Expungement: The regulations finally create a formal, timeline-driven administrative process to expunge the criminal records of thousands of South Africans who were historically marginalized and prosecuted for minor cannabis offences.
Civil society groups, advocates, and opponents of the draft regulations raise several serious concerns:
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- Arbitrary Limits: Critics argue that the 5-plant and 750g limits are entirely arbitrary and lack scientific or agricultural backing. A blanket 5-plant limit fails to account for the massive difference between a small indoor plant and a large outdoor plant, or the fact that an annual outdoor harvest can easily yield more than 750g, instantly turning a legal home-grower into a criminal.
- Regulatory Overreach: Opponents argue that the regulations are legally flawed because they contradict and go further than the Act passed by Parliament. By removing rights or adding restrictions that Parliament did not approve, critics argue the regulations are unconstitutional.
- Privacy Violations & “Police Drivers”: The transport rules—which force drivers and passengers to declare their cannabis to each other and grant drivers the power to inspect a passenger’s belongings—are viewed as a massive infringement on adult privacy. Critics argue it forces ordinary citizens to act like police officers.
- Vague Wording Invites Abuse: The regulations use vague terms regarding how cannabis must be “concealed” or prohibiting anyone from “revealing” it. Opponents fear this ambiguous language will be used as a loophole for law enforcement to continue harassing citizens and executing unwarranted vehicle searches.
- Disproportionate Impact on the Poor: The strict requirement to conceal cannabis in a vehicle’s boot or enclosed compartment disproportionately harms poorer citizens or rural residents who rely on public transport, communal living spaces, or who do not own vehicles with lockable boots.