A higher PURPOSE

Forget the tired stigma - hemp-based products are laying solid foundations in green construction 

- MARK VAN DIJK

It was a 40-word paragraph in the middle of a 7400-word speech but it got people talking. In his 2020 State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced: 'This year we will open up and regulate the commercial use of hemp products, providing opportunities for small-scale farmers; and formulate policy on the use of cannabis products for medicinal purposes, to build this industry in line with global trends.'

This came after the Constitutional Court's 2018 ruling that SA's existing cannabis laws were unconstitutional, and at a time in which the discussions around CBD oils and medical marijuana are becoming increasingly widespread and increasingly serious - while still shrouded in a cloud of stigma.