Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane is set to convene a cannabis stakeholder engagement which will contribute to a policy for the development of cannabis in the province.
The two-day engagement kicks off at the East London Convention centre on Wednesday leading into Friday.
It will see provincial government, traditional leadership, farmers, researchers and institutions of higher learning, convene to explore the various avenues for its development.
Premier spokesperson, Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetsha, says amongst others this includes finding a unified consensus between stakeholders to achieve investment for commercial sustainability.
He says competitiveness to increase sector contribution to GDP, creating employment and food security is also at the top of the list for conditions for the policy.
Sicwetsha says the purpose of the engagement is to determine who is in this "space" and to unify the process so that everyone can be on the same page. The invitation was sent to community groups and individuals.
Meanwhile, Eastern Cape Rural Development Department MEC, Nomakhosazana Meth, welcomed the initiative during the tabling of her budget policy speech earlier this month and said the policy is scheduled to be approved by the end of September 2019.
