Bail after dagga bust

Update

GEORGE NEWS - A 33-year-old man from Blanco was released on R1 000 bail on Monday 5 September after he was arrested in possession of dagga and cultivating equipment with an estimated street value of R1,1m last Friday.

He will appear in court again on 7 November pending further investigation.

According to Southern Cape police spokesperson Sgt Chris Spies, their organised crime unit descended on a premises where they discovered an indoor dagga cultivation laboratory where high quality dagga was cultivated.

They confiscated 38 dagga trees, numerous containers and parcels of dried dagga and cultivating equipment. The occupant of the premises was arrested on charges of cultivating and dealing in drugs.

The accused is represented by Bulelani Bans of Claasen Law Inc. The case serves in front of Magistrate Theolin November and Eric Mtyhobile is for the state.

Law on cannabis in South Africa

In South Africa, cannabis was recently decriminalised for a host of reasons, including the Western Cape High Court ruling that its criminalisation, for personal use by consenting adults, was in fact unconstitutional.

However, the use of cannabis is highly regulated, and it is only allowed to be consumed in private, by adults over the age of 18 years.

While the recreational use of cannabis in private is legal, many aspects of producing, processing, storing, possessing, transporting and selling it are still against the law.

Only a limited quantity, equivalent to what can be personally consumed, is allowed in possession. This is quantified by the law as a maximum of 600g per individual in their private space. Consuming cannabis in public spaces remains a criminal offence. Supplying a minor, i.e. a child under the age of 18 years, with any form of recreational cannabis is a serious offence.

One of the 38 trees removed from the property.