We Love Our Lawyers!
As another year launches into full swing here at Fields of Green for ALL, it is good to make time to be grateful. We have been reflecting on 2018 – a year that was crazy busy & momentous in its progress towards legally regulated Cannabis for ALL South Africans and a landmark year for Schindlers Attorneys.
Without the Cannabis Team at this venerable law firm, no South African would be able to say that they are now free to use, possess and cultivate Cannabis for personal use in private spaces. Maybe some do not realise how ground breaking the Constitutional Court decision was. Nowhere in the world has such a decision been the “gateway” to legal regulation the way that it is in South Africa.
The Western Cape High Court case was driven by Garreth Prince and Jeremy Acton but it is the Schindlers team who have been poking the beast in ways that often go unnoticed. The Dagga Couple’s intervention at the Constitutional Court helped things along their way and Schindlers Attorneys are still by our side so that we can make sure that we have legally regulated Cannabis for ALL South Africans in the near future.
Schindlers have established a Medical & Recreational Cannabis Law Department within the firm so we are assured of continued hand holding! Here are some highlights from their website:
Watch Schindlers Public Cannabis Seminar in November 2018
Court footage of the groundbreaking High Court proceedings
Memorandum: A Brief Overview of South Africa’s Cannabis Regime
A Snapshot of the CBD Industry in South Africa
This brand new year will, of course, bring new challenges as the clock ticks away for the government to amend the law. We don’t expect anything to happen before the elections in May 2019 but we all have homework to do because, as civil society, our voices are more crucial now than ever before. At Fields of Green for ALL we are determined to finish writing what WE want the law to look like so that we are ready to present it to government when the time comes.
We have decided to postpone The Trial of the Plant until after the legislature has changed the law. We plan to have a “gun to the head” of the lawmakers. If you don’t give us what we want we are going straight back to court!
The team at Schindlers are right here by our side for the foreseeable future and for this we can’t thank them enough. We keep each other on our toes. We don’t always agree but we ALWAYS work things out with ALL South Africans in mind. Going forward, our main challenge will be to look after the most vulnerable sector of our Cannabis community – the informal sector. The suits are in town from all over the world so we have our work cut out going forward.
Over the years there have been many legal minds helping our challenge so we also owe a debt of gratitude to our entire extended legal team!
Maurice, Paul-Michael, Kyle, Andrew, Caitlyn, Jasvir and everyone else at the firm who has contributed on the road to freedom – we love you ALL and thanks very much!
Myrtle, Jules, William, Charl, Joanne & the FGA Crew
Thank you to our FGA Affiliates who help to make our ongoing content creation possible!
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About the Author: Myrtle Clarke
hi Myrtle and everybody at fields of green . Outstanding and exceptional work by you and the Lawyers. I can only thank you all-been wating since 1969 for this to happen. Happy days xx
Myrtle, Jules, William, Charl, Joanne & the FGA Crew, thanks for this message. WOW! You certainly know how to make a hardened litigation attorney shed a tear. You guys have become family to us and for this we will forever be grateful. Not a moment has gone by where we haven’t felt that the journey has been epically worth it from a personal and professional level. Thank you for being the most incredible team-mates and friends! We would never have been able to do it without your inspiration, determination, sensibility and, importantly, your dedication to the Fields of Green Community. Consultations with Jules and Myrtle would never be about the criminal charges against them. That never, ever, ever featured. Not once in all these years. It’s always soley been about the interests of the cannabis community. I’ve certainly learnt from this and respect you guys for making your own interests secondary to the cause. Thank you!! Now for Part II….. Maurice
Thank YOU Maurice, this made us shed a tear too!! Onwards…
And I would like to make a personal thank you to Johan Beater who got stays for ourselves and Monica Cromhout.
Thanks for adding this Noesjka! Indeed, Johan Bester has helped many in the Western Cape and a special shoutout to him because he always helps out with reasonable fees and efficient communication.
Include the informal sector.
The informal sector is at the centre of our policy proposals, backed 100% by Schindlers as they know how to write the law so that it does this. Very scary that we could end up with a copy and paste of Canada’s policy! Watch this space & thanks for your comment Denise.