Feedback on the Farmers Lab, 12 March 2021

nmalan3
Mar 17, 2021
2 min read

Dear All

Thanks for listening and watching and participating in the last Farmers’ Lab. We heard many stories about cannabis, some good, and some not so good. It struck me how the panellists emphasised that if they have freedom to act in this nascent market, they could create great benefit for many. I am thinking of downstream retail, processing, manufacturing and even art and design with this product. Without freedom, we will never be able to experiment and achieve new and interesting things. It is these new and interesting things that could create a future where we become leaders in industrialising this crop. This makes very important noise about what approach we should take in South Africa, and also worldwide in marijuana policy.

South Africa arguably grows the worlds largest cannabis crop. Many countries have legalised entirely the production, consumption and processing of this crop. This enables them to capture the benefits of it, and to control and regulate it. We are not saying we should only follow the money, but it is quite untenable that South Africa continues to be the largest global grower of this very valuable crop whilst it is still declared illegal. Recent court cases have not moved the needle. Many benefit from our illegal crop. Our industry lives in a dark age and area where injustices easily emerge. Social justice is also economically beneficial, and freedom creates benefits for us.

I have to express my thanks to my panellists. I believe we are participating in an important conversation, and it is about much more than the smoke!

Pierre van der Hoven:

https://grovest.co.za/pf/cannabis-fund/;

Lawrence Sharpley:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-sharpley-a53529b5/

http://www.cannaconsulting.co.za/

https://daggaboer.africa/

Myrtle Clarke:

Fields of Green for All: myrtle@fieldsofgreenforall.org.za; https://fieldsofgreenforall.org.za/

Charl Henning:

charl@fieldsofgreenforall.org.za;

Jordyn Murcia: