Dagga production: Premier says EC must "wake up" the country

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Eastern Cape Premier, Oscar Mabuyane, says a pro-marijuana consultancy in the United States, estimates that South Africa's domestic market for cannabis will be worth around 27-billion rand by 2023.

Mabuyane made the remark in his opening address at a two-day cannabis stakeholder engagement underway at the East London International Convention Centre.

It's organised under the auspices of the provincial department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform after Mabuyane made it a priority for the Department to develop a policy for cannabis production in the Eastern Cape.

In his address, Premier Mabuyane said that in 2003 Interpol rated South Africa as the fourth largest cannabis producer in the world.

He says he feels the province has been missing in action with respect to cannabis production to the detriment of economic growth and job creation.

During his address, Mabuyane highlighted some interesting facts about the cannabis industry in the world.

• Cannabis has now been decriminalised in over 50 countries in the world.
• Canada has been one of the leading countries in developing the sector
• Apart from Lesotho, which is Africa's first mover in decriminalising cannabis, African countries such as Botswana, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Uganda are at varying stages of rolling out their licensing regime to attract investment to the sector.