Dope Shops - How can there be so many

[Zellephant]

It’s impossible to head down any high street today and not pass at least half a dozen cannabis related stores. How do they do business/survive in the current regulatory environment.

(I am not wondering about how they survive in terms of demand for the product…. It’s pretty obvious how high the demand is)

I know it’s been de-criminalised for a good long time now. But that only governs private use and possession. Sale of cannabis is still not legal. Foodstuffs containing cannabis were allowed for a while, then banned by the department of health completely, and now they are apparently allowed again (but pending an outcome on new legislation specifically related to cannabis in the food industry)

And medical or health related sale of products containing cannabis is considered complimentary medicine and the sale thereoff required licensing.

But these majority of these “dope” shops aren’t exactly coffee shops like you find in the Netherlands. The bulk seem to be shops selling paraphernalia for using cannabis, or they are branding themselves as health stores/pharmacies, but surely they can’t all be licensed as pharmacies, since that’s a pretty stringent thing in terms of licensing, and it’s not exactly like South Africa has an oversupply of qualified pharmacists.

I don’t want this to become a debate around the whether or not it should be legal, or the health issues for or against its use. That’s not what I’m asking. I want to understand how under current legislation, there seems to be such a boom in dope shops opening, even though the sale of dope is still illegal, or very highly regulated.

Are they just openly defying the legislation while the police don’t enforce the laws around sale, since the decriminalisation on use, or what’s the story?

I tried to do some reading, but that left me even more confused, since it seems the current legal position is that even the 420 social clubs that everyone was opening a while ago to get around the laws regarding “selling” are outright banned under current law.

 

[LCBXX]

Simple.

They pay tax.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Who cares? Buy your stuff while you can and move along.

 

[Zellephant]

Simple.

They pay tax.

On what? They definitely aren’t paying tax on the under the counter sale of marijuana. Can’t exactly be recording the sale of the illegal to be sold product your shop is actually selling.

 

[Benedict A55h0le not]

CBD in food stuffs was banned and now allowed again. The sale of anything with THC in has always been banned. These shops don`t sell any THC products. This is SA, and there are multiple convenient ways to buy weed because SAPS is useless. And this is what is creating demand for these shops.

 

[Benedict A55h0le not]

On what? They definitely aren’t paying tax on the under the counter sale of marijuana. Can’t exactly be recording the sale of the illegal to be sold product your shop is actually selling.

You don`t know if these shops sell under the counter. I have never seen or heard about a public legal canna shop that does this.

 

[Zellephant]

You don`t know if these shops sell under the counter. I have never seen or heard about a public legal canna shop that does this.

So what the hell are they selling then? Especially the ones branding themselves as health stores?

I mean just exactly how many bongs does a person need? Can’t be too much return business on paraphanalia like bongs and grinders etc, and one could buy that stuff anyway long before the decriminalisation from most tobbaconists.

So if they can’t sell dope, and they can’t sell cookies or cake or drinks or whatever containing dope, and they can’t give it away either (like they previously did with the social clubs), then what are they selling, and what is driving these sales?

 

[PaulNOTsaul]

Have you ever thought about going into one of the stores and checking out their inventory?

 

[Zellephant]

Have you ever thought about going into one of the stores and checking out their inventory?

I have. And that’s exactly why I am asking the question.

 

[Benedict A55h0le not]

So what the hell are they selling then? Especially the ones branding themselves as health stores?

I mean just exactly how many bongs does a person need? Can’t be too much return business on paraphanalia like bongs and grinders etc, and one could buy that stuff anyway long before the decriminalisation from must tobbaconists.

So if they can’t sell dope, and they can’t sell cookies or cake or drinks or whatever containing dope, and they can’t give it away either (like they previously did with the social clubs), then what are they selling, and what is driving these sales?

Have you ever tried to clean a bong? Can never have enough bongs.

They can sell anything with CBD in it. There is a big market for stoner wannabees buying CBD products.

 

[PaulNOTsaul]

I have. And that’s exactly why I am asking the question.

Alright, did you enter? If not, why?

 

[Smiggles]

The ones here are invite only and you need a subscription.

 

[ISP cash cow]

So what the hell are they selling then? Especially the ones branding themselves as health stores?

I mean just exactly how many bongs does a person need? Can’t be too much return business on paraphanalia like bongs and grinders etc, and one could buy that stuff anyway long before the decriminalisation from must tobbaconists.

So if they can’t sell dope, and they can’t sell cookies or cake or drinks or whatever containing dope, and they can’t give it away either (like they previously did with the social clubs), then what are they selling, and what is driving these sales?

don't listen to @Benedict A55h0le not

Most of them do sell dope and cookies and the such like, How they getting away with it is probably

 

[Zellephant]

Alright, did you enter? If not, why?

I literally just told you I have been into a store to check out its inventory, and that’s exactly why I am asking the question here. The sudden rise in the number of these stores just doesn’t make sense.

Although I am definately not a regular dope smoker, I am not a total ignoramus. I do occasionally indulge in the right environment, and although I much prefer edibles, I can appreciate a good joint from time to time. I was a member of 3 social clubs a couple of years ago (mostly because it was a requirement to be allowed to watch blues shows that were being performed at their venues, but I did make use of my membership outside of that).

But the proliferation now just makes no sense, unless they are fronting for dealers, which they obviously all claim they are not.

 

[Zellephant]

The ones here are invite only and you need a subscription.

They started doing that right at the start of the decriminalisation, but the 2024 act that was passed to legitimise the decriminalisation clearly treats the social clubs model as a method of “selling” marijuana and it remains illegal. So if that’s still what they are doing, then it’s just being allowed because of a lack of enforcement, not because it’s legal

 

[Jefferson D'Arcy]

It helps explain the sheer number of people blasting through red traffic lights.

At least I hope it does, the alternative is much worse.

 

[Benedict A55h0le not]

It helps explain the sheer number of people blasting through red traffic lights.

At least I hope it does, the alternative is much worse.

Weed will make people be more patient and not drive through red robots. People do that because SA is full of sh1thead people

 

[Akasha]

When we moved to Alberton 3 years ago, I asked somewhere for a shop, and got invited to a private club. I've been a member since, and can honestly say that their dodgy shop has the best prices. I've been to a few other shops in the area, but that one is still the cheapest on edibles.
Now the slight issue I have is that I stopped taking anything, and I see more and more shops pop up. I don't want to even tempt myself, so I stay out of them, but I do look inside when I drive past

 

[The Darkness]

I literally just told you I have been into a store to check out its inventory, and that’s exactly why I am asking the question here. The sudden rise in the number of these stores just doesn’t make sense.

Although I am definately not a regular dope smoker, I am not a total ignoramus. I do occasionally indulge in the right environment, and although I much prefer edibles, I can appreciate a good joint from time to time. I was a member of 3 social clubs a couple of years ago (mostly because it was a requirement to be allowed to watch blues shows that were being performed at their venues, but I did make use of my membership outside of that).

But the proliferation now just makes no sense, unless they are fronting for dealers, which they obviously all claim they are not.

Most cannabis stores are operating under the section 21 medicines act (you cn read up on that), or they're operating as membership clubs. Yes, they pay tax too, and no, they're not fronting for 'dealers' - they are outletting for growers, which is a huge industry. Clearly there's a market too, hence the amount of stores. Anyway, it should be legalised as legitimate trade; if alcohol get's the green light then cannabis should definitely get it too. Either way, it makes no difference to your life.

 

[The Darkness]

It helps explain the sheer number of people blasting through red traffic lights.

At least I hope it does, the alternative is much worse.

Alcohol is the cause of most accidents, there's nothing worse. Cannabis shouldn't be 'driven' on either.