Chris Jay

How Cannabis Grow Licensing Works in South Africa There are three main legal pathways, depending on what you want to grow. Medicinal Cannabis Licence (SAHPRA) — the main commercial route Hemp Permit (Department of Agriculture) — easier but THC-limited Private Personal Grow (No licence) — limited, non-commercial Medicinal Cannabis Licence (SAHPRA) — Main Commercial Route This is the real commercial cultivation licence. Issued by: South African Health Products Regulatory Authority Legal basis: Section 22C(1)(b) of the Medicines Act. This licence allows you to: Cultivate cannabis Manufacture cannabis products Extract cannabinoids Export cannabis Import cannabis products Distribute to licensed channels These activities require a SAHPRA licence before you touch the plant commercially. Step-by-Step — Medicinal Cannabis Grow Licence Step 1 — Build a Compliant Facility (Yes, before approval) You must already have: Secure farm or indoor facility Perimeter security CCTV & access control SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) Quality Management System GACP / GMP readiness Facilities must be available for inspection, not just conceptual. Step 2 — Prepare Documentation Typical submission includes: Site Master File (SMF) Security plan Cultivation SOPs Staff structure Responsible Pharmacist appointment Quality manual Environmental controls plan SAHPRA guidelines specify strict quality and security standards similar to pharmaceutical operations. Step 3 — Submit Application You apply using: Cannabis cultivation licence form Supporting technical documentation Applications are reviewed and inspected before approval. Step 4 — Inspection & Approval SAHPRA will: Inspect your facility Audit procedures Verify security Check quality systems If approved: You receive a Section 22C licence. Typical Real Costs (Industry Reality) Not official figures — but realistic: Facility build: R10M – R40M+ Security: R1M – R5M Consultants & compliance: R1M – R3M Timeline: 12–36 months Many applications fail due to compliance gaps. Hemp Permit — Much Easier Entry Point Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development For: Low-THC hemp (≤0.2–0.3% THC depending on regulation) Fibre Seed Industrial uses This is not medical cannabis. Hemp Permit Basics Requirements: Registered farmland Approved cultivar list THC compliance testing Record keeping Much cheaper and faster than SAHPRA licensing. Personal Cultivation — No Licence Required Allowed since the Constitutional Court ruling. You can: Grow cannabis privately For personal use only Not sell or distribute Commercial sale without a licence remains illegal. What Many People Get Wrong These are common misconceptions: You cannot legally sell cannabis from a normal farm Dispensary licences don’t exist (as most people think) Grow clubs are legally risky You cannot export without SAHPRA licensing Realistic Licensing Strategy (What Serious Operators Do) Typical professional path: Raise capital Secure land Design pharma-grade facility Hire compliance consultants Submit SAHPRA application Build market/export agreements Pass inspection This is why large investors dominate early licences. Key Industry Insight (Based on Real Projects) Most successful SA licences share: Export-first business model Pharmaceutical compliance Dedicated compliance teams Strong funding Small growers usually enter via hemp or partnerships, not solo SAHPRA applications.

Calmag is not necessary for the germination process, air is. Once they germinate and if you planting in soil, calmag can be a top additive to your soil mix.

Very informative information that will improve anyones craft, but its not just about flowering, its also in the curing process. Oxidation and sunlight kill terpenes. In the USA they are very advanced when it comes to even "cold packaging" flowers to stabilise terpenes during the transport processs to the consumer.

Now that cannabis is more decrimanlised there is amazing private research being done. A local researcher has done extensive research on the plant and cancer. i loved the opening of this article: Source: https://news.mandela.ac.za/News/The-potent-power-of-plants-Cannabinoids-for-trea There is alot more to this research paper than I can type right now, but one thing I know is cannabis kills cancer cells. Dont believe the propaganda.

Selling of THC is illegal, no legal frameworks unless you have an export license. There have been recent articles about how SAHPRA and SAPS will be clamping down on the shops, dispensaries and clubs. Already a couple clubs raided in PE, Durban and JHB. Good lawyers on hand do help, but also sad to say our cannabis market is being taken over by gangsters.

I bought an LED light system and got a costume jewelry ladies necklace.

Nice, I am also thinking of popping a couple autos. Need to turn a quick fast crop. Happy growing.

North America is a good market to watch, we usually follow, I think we are seeing the peak of our greenrush. Not all business people are greedy, just like not all Canadians or South Africans, sadly we have an ongoing pandemic called corruption. I hate to say this but tax is not a bad thing to regulate things.

Not really if you look at statistics, the canadian market has data based on this and you will clearly see that the two markets are being brought closer together thanks to legalisation, and harm reduction.

It is a real top cut, was just doing my research on super cheese, have a nug of it to smoke now, and I know its going to be good. Probably so good it might win an award at the 2024 GR cannabis cup.

You should be sorted, hope you get some bonus seeds. Lets us see your grow.

Will followup tomorrow a bit late, but will sort your order out.

Send me an order number and I am sure I can help.

The Garden Route Cannabis Cup & Expo -Celebrating Cannabis Excellence and Cultivating Community – Now including Cape Town & Klein Karoo. Just 6 more days before ALL Garden Route Cannabis Cup submissions must reach us, and for the Judging to begin! Better hurry up! Contact Us to enter. The categories are: Outdoor Indoor Open - hydro/aqua/aeroponic Concentrates Edibles #cannabiscup #cannabisjudges #gardenroutecannabis #cannabischampions #gardenroute #kleinkaroo #capetown https://www.420sa.co.za/topic/7210-garden-route-cannabis-expo/

I am busy building a community garden at a local coffee place. I hear what you mean, and it becomes overwhelming at times. Draw up a business plan, finances, go around to another nurseries to get ideas. One small step at a time.

Howdy @dillipit Welcome to 420sa.

Check out Biltong and Budz for a solid company with wide selection and great service.

One of the pioneers in the cannabis automation industry recently launched a C02 censor to attach to their unit as an addon. Being in the heart of legal cannabis growing and having a commercial product being sold I would think this is a very important part of the concept, however I am not to sure how many people would use CO2 in South Africa.

I think the most reasonable answer would be the loadshedding guy is on holiday. Who the hell knows. I was wondering the other day why e dont stand up and get rebates from eskom for all this downtime. We pay R1200 just as a line fee before anything is used, with loadshedding over the course of the last several months we could be saving atleast R600 for no service, adds up to quite a bit over several months. Because we are rural and eskom does not do maintenance, as soon as wind picks up or big storms we get blackouts for sometimes up to 36 hours or more, god forbid if a transformer shorts then its atleast 36 hours. Anyway, Eskom is just another useless parastatal that does not know its ass from its elbow. I hate calling them with any questions, absolute waste of time. Sad that we have to accept this type of service, but luckily its happened for so long we have had to make other arrangements and use combinations of gas, solar, battery, invertors and fire. Check the link below on its trust rating and reviews. What pisses me off even more is their new rural consultant upgraded his Izuzu bakkie to a Toyota Fortuner in 2 months of work. I love seeing people succeed but this guy could not even pass standard 5 home economics class. https://www.hellopeter.com/eskom

Introducing the Homegrown Auto Cup, a unique collaboration between Biltong and Budz Seedbank and @Bay Seeds, proudly showcasing the freshest auto seeds South Africa has to offer. As we embark on our soft launch from December 20th to March 31st, 2024, immerse yourself in the essence of “Local is lekker.” “Local is lekker” Competition Dates: December 20th – March 31st, 2024 [Note: Biltong and Budz will be closed from Friday the 22nd and will reopen on the 9th. (Last day of dispatch: 18th Dec). Any orders during this period will be promptly fulfilled from the 9th.] How to Enter: Purchase a 3 seed pack of Bay Seeds – Russian Gorilla Auto seeds from Biltong and Buds using the coupon code “bayseeds” and you’re automatically entered. Share your grow updates on the Biltong and Budz Growers Group on Facebook. Alternatively, if you prefer to stay anonymous, email your pictures and descriptions to homegrowncup@biltongandbudz.co.za. For Instagram Users: If you’re on Instagram, amplify your participation by tagging both Biltong and Budz (@biltongandbudz_) and Bay Seeds (@bayseeds420) in your posts. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #homegrownautocup to showcase your growing journey and connect with fellow participants across the community! This soft launch marks the inception of our cannabis community cup, complete with numerous prizes for the best grow, as determined by our esteemed judges. Why the Homegrown Auto Cup? We’re committed to providing South Africans with top-notch, locally-bred auto seeds at an affordable price. Join us in dispelling the notion that automatic seeds are solely expensive imports. Our cup celebrates the future of cannabis cultivation. History of Automatic Seeds: While relatively new to the industry, breeders have been experimenting with cross-breeding automatic (ruderalis) seeds since the late 1970s. The breakthrough came with the launch of the “Lowryder” strain by the Joint Doctor, demonstrating the potential of autoflowering cannabis ruderalis hybrids. What are Automatic Seeds? Automatic seeds are hybrids with ruderalis variety crossbred into them. Originating from Eastern Europe, ruderalis, named after the German word ‘ruderal,’ meaning ‘weeds growing by the roadside,’ has become a vital component in creating these hybrids. Why Grow Automatic Seeds from Bay Seeds? Local is lekker: Support local breeders enhancing our genetic diversity. Year-round cultivation: These seeds flower automatically, eliminating photoperiod sensitivity. High yield, short flowering time: Automatics yield big results when grown correctly, with a significantly shorter flowering time than other hybrids. https://www.biltongandbudz.co.za/autocup/

I am researching bay seeds at the moment and glad to see them on here. I have so many good reviews about their auto seed range, I might just buy some soon. I have recently heard they are local, well priced . Also see them listed on biltongandbudz.co.za, my favourite local seedbank.

There has been a longtime campaign against cannabis brands, its not just about sales. In the USA a couple companies have been fighting lawsuits against these crap social media companies. Canna Cribs had their account suspended for 1 week, and they follow the community guidelines to a tee. I have tried every way possible, including speaking to some seasned social media managers to get my account back, sent template support requests. Sadly its the business of being in cannabis, all the big names clamp down on cannabis. Instagram deleted DabStars account with over a million followers a couple years ago. You must not forget evil trolls, ex girlfriends and the likes. One ex of mine blocked my account on IG, i could not use it. She called me and sat having coffee, I asked her to unblock me as I had lost a primary business of mine ( charging for IG posts ) , i literally watched the account open up again. I played her own game and banned her immediately so she could not do it again. I have lost alot of social accounts, domains , suspensions, bans in the past. You either got to work harder or smarter. I had a youtube video deleted 7 days ago and got a strike against my account. The reason was " false information". The video was of how cannabis kills cancer cells, based on scientific evidence in the description. I was funny enough chatting to Sister Vee about this last night, after the Canna Clubs video last night. Video , 3 parts is damn interesting. Twitter seems to be a great platform to market cannabis these days, hopefully the other assholes catch up soon.

Hey, not sure its sold, its been on the market for just over a year now. It was R14 million and seems now 12 million. I might be wrong, but news travels fast here. https://www.algoafm.co.za/local/sa-s-oldest-pub-the-pig-whistle-inn-for-sale Their babootie is great, but you should try their steak nights, epic, also asian nights on wednesday and sunday roasts. All great value for money. I am sure new owners will bring in a breath of fresh air to the establishment, and the current/previous owners have been wonderful for the place and Bathurst village.

Well done @West Coast Vaper, that venue looks super and I am sure you will host loads of happy vibes and parties there. Good luck and keep the updates coming, love watching canna business grow.

Best way I found to store weed for longterm is the vaccum ( with clips on each side ) sealed rubber maid bins. The trim I keep in shopping for shopping bags to make hash and the nice flower in big ziplock bags with boveda packs. Simple to move and transport to.