Bonitas Member Magazine B-Living - Issue 2 | Page 24

Legalisation of
marijuana
Known as dagga, zol, ganja or weed, marijuana
is defi nitely a subject that sparks much debate.
In a recent landmark ruling, Judge Dennis Davis
declared the possession, cultivation and use
of marijuana in the privacy of your home to be
legal. But what does this really mean?
The fi ght to legalise marijuana in South Africa has been a
long-drawn-out battle between Government and parties
who are pro the decriminalisation of dagga. In February
2011, a member of Parliament with stage 4 lung cancer
introduced the Medical Innovation Bill to legalise the
use of medical marijuana and pleaded with President
Jacob Zuma to provide laws that give doctors the power
to prescribe alternative treatments. There have since
been a number of parties who have shown interest in
this matter, particularly relating to the medicinal use of
marijuana and its benefi ts. But it was until the couple
dubbed as the ‘dagga couple’ in the media, brought the
case to the Western Cape High Court and won.
You can defi nitely still be arrested for smoking
or growing weed, even at your own house
The ruling has opened the way for making home use
legal, based on one’s right to privacy. However, until the
Constitutional Court confi rms the ruling and refers it
to the National Assembly, it’s still illegal in terms of the
country’s laws. Getting the order confi rmed could take
about two years. The ruling also stated that Parliament
must change sections of the Drug Traffi cking Act, as well
as the Medicines Control Act, within the next 24 months.
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The use of marijuana for medical purposes
The Medicines Control Council, together with the
Department of Health, has published a list of new
guidelines, which deal with how marijuana can be
produced for medical uses. The guidelines advocate that
marijuana cultivated for medicinal purposes, as well as
any resulting products prepared from the plant material,
will remain subject to stringent security and quality
control measures. In addition, only registered medical
practitioners may apply for authorisation to prescribe a
controlled medicine for a specifi c patient. Authorisation
from the council is dependent on the submission
of an appropriate dosage regimen and acceptable
justifi cation for the proposed and intended use. The
necessary procedures for approval of the importation of
suitable cannabis products for medicinal use by patients
with defi ned medical conditions are already in place.
Possible health benefi ts of marijuana
Marijuana use has been linked to treatment of glaucoma,
chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, eating disorders and
seizure-prevention. Doctors in California have reportedly
been able to treat more than 300 000 cases of migraines
with medical marijuana while the American Association
of Cancer Research has found that the use of marijuana
works to slow down tumour growth in the lungs, breast
and brain considerably. But it is by no means a miracle
cure. It comes with a host of physical and psychological
eff ects, which must be considered too.
B-Living Issue 2, 2017