The advantages and disadvantages of cannabis use on the brain

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The Cannabis Debate Continues: A South African Perspective




Kelsey Nairn

BSocSciHons (Psychology)

South African College of Applied Psychology (Pty) Ltd

Johannesburg Campus




Theory and Practice of Psychopathology

Assessment 1: Critical Review and Evaluation

Joy Nel

29th March 2022




Word Count: 3239

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Table of Contents
The Cannabis Debate Continues: A South African Perspective..............................................................3
Clinical Characteristics and Risk Factors Associated with the Use of Cannabis......................................3
Intoxication........................................................................................................................................3
Addiction...........................................................................................................................................4
Cannabis and Psychosis.....................................................................................................................5
Physical Health Dangers.....................................................................................................................6
Decriminalisation...................................................................................................................................6
The legalisation of Marijuana in South Africa (Ruling Evaluation).........................................................7
Intervention Strategies Governing Cannabis Usage.............................................................................11
References.......................................................................................................................................14

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The Cannabis Debate Continues: A South African Perspective

The Khoikhoi term Dachab is the origin of the South African pseudonym for Cannabis

Sativa: Dagga (Henama, 2020).Nice way to start introduction! In pre-colonial times, Arab

traders brought cannabis to the Mozambique region, where it has been grown ever since. The

Khoikhoi used it as a valuable intoxicant and herbal medicine, chewed or boiled. They

also traded cannabis with the Xhosa peoples of eastern South Africa. After European

colonialists introduced the smoking pipe, people began to smoke it. Cannabis was not made

illegal in South Africa until the Medical, Dental, and Pharmacy Act, No. 13, was passed in

1928. Possession of more than 113 grams of cannabis was automatically classified as dealing

when the Marijuana Control Act was revised in 1954. Marijuana use and sale were made

punishable by up to 15 years in jail by the Abuse of Dependence-Producing Substances and

Rehabilitation Centers Act, No. 41, which was passed in 1971. Up to 15 years imprisonment

for use and 25 years for trafficking were later introduced by the Drugs and Drug Trafficking

Act, No.140 of 1992 (Shelly & Howell, 2018). Marijuana and marijuana usage thus became

illegal in South Africa. Great research!!

Interpol ranked South Africa as one of the world’s leading cannabis producers. WOW!! Did

not know that…South AfricaSouth Africa accounted for about a quarter of all global

cannabis seizures in 2000 (Machethe &Machethe & Mofokeng, 2022; Taylor, 2020).

Clinical Characteristics and Risk Factors Associated Withwith the Use of Cannabis

Intoxication

Cannabis’ potency has surged thanks to advances in plant breeding over the last few

decades. Until the 1970s, a typical joint had just 10mg of THC, compared to the 150mg

found in a joint now (Ashton, 2001). The strains of cannabis grown in South Africa were

already among the most powerful in the world by 1980 (Omokhua-Uyi et al., 2020). In that