The licence, issued by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, is solely for cultivating and not for manufacturing to sell or consume cannabis.
Renowned Cape Town strawberry farm Polkadraai is the first recipient of a commercial licence to cultivate cannabis for medical use.
The licence, issued by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, is solely for cultivating and not for manufacturing to sell or consume.
Polkadraai Farm co-owner Leslie Zettler: “Our licence is strictly for cultivation. We’re still waiting for companies to be licenced to manufacture. That will mean that they will be able to take our product and turn it into anything – tablets, tinctures… pretty much any product.”
Medically, marijuana is used to help treat pain, anxiety, cancer and other ailments.
Under its trading name, Felbridge, the farm will produce 20 tonnes of dried cannabis.
In September last year, the Constitutional Court decriminalised the use and possession of dagga in a private dwelling by adults.
