Voices in the Room: Reflections on the National Cannabis Dialogue
Why bringing every corner of South Africa’s cannabis and hemp sector into one room matters
On Thursday 27 August 2026, Kempton Park City Hall hosted The National Consensus on SMME, Informal Economy, Cannabis and Hemp Sectoral Dialogue 2026, organised by the Marijuana Board of South Africa (MBOSA) in partnership with The National Dialogue of South Africa and the City of Ekurhuleni, under the theme “Rebuilding a Free, Fair, and Regulated Cannabis and Hemp Industry for the Future of South Africans”. The agenda covered commercialisation of the cannabis and hemp roadmap, red tape reduction, and SAPS misconduct and illegal arrests.
SACHIDA was present. Members of our executive attended and came away encouraged by the honesty of the discussions and the progress made in bringing government, law enforcement, traditional knowledge holders and grassroots cannabis communities into the same room. This is exactly the kind of engagement our Association exists to support.
What Was Discussed
The dialogue brought together activists, traditional knowledge holders, government officials, law enforcement and the public around one central question: how can cannabis be fully legalised while protecting the rights, livelihoods and traditional knowledge of those who have used and cultivated it for generations? Panellists included Sister Thandeka, Dacha San, Elder Tau Tau, representatives from Fields of Green for ALL, and Gareth Prince, the Western Cape “Ganja Prince”. Representatives from the Department of Justice, SAPS, the Department of Water and Sanitation, and the Department of Small Business Development also attended.
A landmark outcome of the day was the Department of Justice confirming its agreement to the promulgation of the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act — the very step SACHIDA has been lobbying for since our formation, as the essential first move to remove cannabis from the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act. Hearing that commitment stated publicly, alongside the Department’s undertaking to engage with the criminal records of those previously prosecuted for cannabis possession, was a significant moment for everyone in the room. Farmers and growers also pressed the Department of Water and Sanitation for practical solutions such as water meters and legal access to water for cultivation. Discussions were, at times, tense: a police commander’s claim that officers do not take bribes from cannabis dealers was challenged by the audience, and a video of an alleged raid on a Pretoria cannabis shop was played to the SAPS representative present.
Why This Matters for SACHIDA
SACHIDA’s mission rests on a simple conviction: this sector is stronger united than fragmented. The Department of Justice’s public commitment to promulgation is direct validation of the position SACHIDA has held throughout — that promulgation, however imperfect the current regulations, must come first, with refinement to follow. Progress on this scale depends on legacy growers, IKS custodians, licensed operators, activists, traditional leadership and government departments talking honestly in the same room, and MBOSA deserves credit for convening exactly that.
The Work Is Not Finished
Participants called for the conversation to continue online and through further engagements. SACHIDA agrees. This was one gathering, in one city, on one day — commercial cultivators, exporters, retailers, research institutions and traditional leadership structures were not all present in equal measure. If this process is to reflect the full diversity of the sector, it must keep widening its reach into other provinces and communities. SACHIDA will keep members updated as further engagements are announced — please contact the Secretariat if your organisation would like its voice included.