SACCA Policy Paper | Cannabis Club Legal Reform SA

Policy Paper

South African Cannabis Club Alliance (SACCA)
Last Updated: 07 November 2025

This policy paper has evolved into Project Indlela — a comprehensive framework outlining South Africa’s transition from cannabis prohibition to a lawful, inclusive, and economically empowering industry.

This is a living document, continuously refined through collaboration between SACCA members, policy experts, community growers, and allied organisations.

Participatory Policy Development

SACCA believes that policy reform should be built by the people, for the people.

Members are encouraged to review and contribute through the Google Doc:

Project Indlela - A Pathway to a formal Cannabis Economy.

💬 Provide constructive feedback and policy recommendations.
🤝 Help refine community standards and best practices over time.

Purpose of Project Indlela

Project Indlela serves as a collective policy and legislative framework to guide South Africa’s transition toward a formalised, rights-based, and community-empowering cannabis economy.

It builds upon SACCA’s earlier Policy Proposal for the Legal Recognition and Regulation of Private Cannabis Clubs (PCCs) — expanding its scope to include national economic inclusion, descheduling, and sustainable regional development.

Key Outcomes of Project Indlela

1. Legislative Reform Direction

Deschedule cannabis from the Medicines and Related Substances Act (Act 101 of 1965) and the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act (Act 140 of 1992).
Amend the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act (2024) to formally recognise Private Cannabis Clubs, cultivators, and dispensaries as lawful, regulated entities.
Introduce the Cannabis Regulation and Economic Inclusion Act (2025) — establishing a Cannabis Regulatory Authority (CRA) under the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC).

2. Inclusive and Tiered Framework

Adopt a three-tier system (GACP-Light, GMP-Light, Full GMP) to ensure participation from all scales — traditional growers, cooperatives, and commercial enterprises.
Develop Regional Processing Hubs and a National Cannabis Development Fund to support compliance, testing, and rural economic upliftment.

3. Constitutional and Economic Foundations

Fully aligned with Prince v Minister of Justice (2018) and the constitutional rights to privacy, association, and freedom of trade.
Designed to generate sustainable jobs, encourage local beneficiation, and create lawful municipal revenue streams through transparent taxation.

4. International and Scientific Legitimacy

Provides a treaty-compliant model through an Interpretive Declaration under the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961).
Positions South Africa as a global leader in responsible African cannabis reform, integrating both indigenous knowledge systems and modern scientific standards.

An Invitation to Collaborate

Project Indlela is not a fixed proposal — it is a collaborative platform for co-authorship.

Developed through a combination of AI-assisted policy modelling and continuous stakeholder insight, it invites contribution from:

Private Cannabis Clubs and legacy growers
Research institutions and civil society
Legal Professionals
Government departments and regulatory bodies
Industry leaders and advocacy organisations

Your insights and participation are essential to shaping an equitable, evidence-based, and constitutional cannabis framework.

Background and Context

The foundation of Project Indlela lies in SACCA’s longstanding call for the legal recognition of Private Cannabis Clubs and the descheduling of cannabis from restrictive pharmaceutical and criminal frameworks.

Since the Constitutional Court’s 2018 ruling in Prince v Minister of Justice, South Africans have exercised their rights to private cultivation and association. However, in the absence of clear regulation, lawful community operations remain vulnerable to enforcement risks and legal uncertainty.

Project Indlela provides a cohesive, treaty-aligned, and economically inclusive roadmap to resolve these contradictions and establish a balanced cannabis ecosystem.

Participating Stakeholders

Submissions and feedback will be presented to:

Department of Justice and Constitutional Development
Department of Health
Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC)
Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
Department of Small Business Development
Department of Social Development
South African Police Service (SAPS)
Portfolio Committees on Health, Trade, Justice, Police, and Agriculture
NEDLAC and SETA (as applicable)

Supporting Documents

Join the Conversation

This policy framework belongs to the community.

📥 Access the full document
💬 Share your feedback on the SACCA Forum
📧 Contact us at info@sacca.org.za to contribute to the next round of submissions

Together, we can formalise South Africa’s cannabis economy in a way that is constitutional, inclusive, and sustainable.

Posted by:
Albertus van Jaarsveldt
South African Cannabis Club Alliance (SACCA)
📧 info@sacca.org.za | 📱 073 785 4240 / 082 404 3390