The South African province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in October granted 664 licenses to cultivate, store, and transport industrial hemp, the South African reports. Under the program, hemp plants can contain up to 0.2% THC. The permits were awarded by the KZN Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) during the Cannabis Expo and Conference held in the province.
KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube said the expo and conference marked a “new era for the cannabis sector in the province” and noted that the DARD has set aside 47 million rand (~USD$2.4 million) for cannabis research and that about 10 million rand (~USD$526,000) would be used to “assist farmers in cannabis production and hemp permit applications.”
DARD MEC Super Zuma said the agency has “ensured a smooth process” for hemp permit holders and “covered all their costs.”
Sphelele Shezi, a permit recipient, told the South African that she applied for a permit in July and plans to extract hemp oil to use in her company’s hairspray.
“This permit will allow my business to grow,” she said in the report, “and I have a vision of owning a manufacturing plant which will open up job opportunities.” (Full Story)