Across South Africa, conversations about cannabis legalisation often focus on policy, investment, and the potential for economic growth. But for many communities, particularly those historically criminalised for their relationships with plants, the question is deeper: who will benefit from legalisation, and who will be left behind?
By Kandake Tebogo Tia Ramfate
In townships like Soweto, Cannabis has long existed as part of informal economies, traditional knowledge systems, and community survival strategies. Yet as South Africa slowly moves toward a regulated Cannabis market, many of the people who carried the plant through decades of prohibition now face the risk of exclusion from the very industry they helped sustain.
It is within this context that my work as founder of the AfuRaKa Institute and a leader within the Soweto Cannabis Association takes place. Our mission is to ensure that communities like ours are not simply observers in the global Cannabis economy, but active participants and architects of its future.
Later this year, I will have the opportunity to travel to Canada to present research at the Canadian Association of African Studies Conference. The conference brings together scholars, policymakers, and practitioners who are examining Africa’s role in shaping global systems of knowledge, trade, and social development.
For those working in Cannabis policy and advocacy, Canada offers an important learning environment. It is one of the first countries to fully legalise Cannabis at a national level, and its experience offers both inspiration and caution. While legalisation created new economic opportunities, it also revealed how easily legacy farmers, small-scale growers, and marginalised communities can be excluded when regulation moves faster than social justice.
For South Africa, these lessons are invaluable.
International collaboration allows us to learn from countries that have already navigated the complex transition from prohibition to regulation. It also allows African voices to enter global conversations about Cannabis policy, economic development, and community inclusion.
My intention during this visit is not only to present research, but to build partnerships that can support the development of a more inclusive Cannabis ecosystem in South Africa. This includes exploring models for micro-licensing, community-based Cannabis education, and regulatory frameworks that support small-scale operators rather than pushing them out of the market.
Just as importantly, it is an opportunity to ensure that the experiences of communities like Soweto are represented in global discussions about legalisation.
This journey is therefore not only personal or academic. It is part of a broader effort to bridge grassroots knowledge, policy development, and international cooperation.
To make this possible, I am currently raising funds to assist with travel, accommodation, and conference participation costs. Community support, whether through crowdfunding, sponsorship, or simply sharing this story, can help ensure that this work continues and that voices from communities historically marginalised by prohibition are present in shaping the future of the industry.
The Cannabis plant has always been more than a commodity. For many cultures, including those across Africa, it carries history, knowledge, and a relationship with the land.
As the global Cannabis industry continues to evolve, it is essential that those histories are not erased, and that communities who protected this knowledge are not excluded from the opportunities that legalisation now presents.
The work ahead requires collaboration, solidarity, and the courage to imagine systems that are both economically viable and socially just.
Sometimes the path forward begins with a single journey. This one begins in Soweto, but its purpose is much larger: ensuring that African communities help shape the global future of Cannabis.
Link to campaign
https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/from-soweto-to-canada-afurakas-journey
Link to Abstract
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