The law comes years after the highest court determined that the private use of marijuana by adults is constitutionally protected
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed legislation (the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act) into law, codifying the personal use of cannabis by adults.
The new law removes cannabis from the federal Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act and recognizes the rights of adults to possess and grow personal use quantities of cannabis in private. It also establishes a process so that those with criminal records for certain marijuana-related offenses can have their convictions expunged.
The law does not establish rules for the commercial production or retail sales of cannabis products. Such activities remain prohibited.
Passage of the law comes years after the nation’s highest court determined that the private use of marijuana by adults is constitutionally protected behavior.
South African lawmakers initially criminalized the use of marijuana in 1908.
In March, German lawmakers passed similar legislation permitting the personal possession and home cultivation of limited amounts of cannabis. Lawmakers in the European nations of Luxembourg and Malta have also recently enacted personal use laws.
The text of the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act is available from the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa.
This post was republished from NORML.
