A Hawks detective has been accused of walking into a Gonubie mall shop selling cannabis products “for medicinal use”, and shutting it down.
The closure of Canapax medical cannabis dispensary at shop 22A, which is owned by 22-year-old Francios Gous, has infuriated Canapax franchise owner Russel de Beer.
He accused Captain Raymond Buys of behaving like a “cowboy” and said the confiscation had left him feeling “robbed”.
Called for comment, Buys said: “Contact Captain [Anelisa] Feni. She is the spokesperson.”
Feni said she was boarding a flight and would come back to the Dispatch at a later stage.
De Beer said: “It was harassment by this one cop.
“He is acting on his own accord, not acting on orders of the Hawks.
“He comes to the store with no court interdict, no warrant of arrest, no search warrant and took our products away, this is cannabis robbery.”
Calling himself a herbalist and healer, De Beer said he would be asking the courts for a restraining order to prevent what he called “African culture” from being attacked.
The North West-based De Beer is the brains behind the establishment of 40 Canaplax stores nationwide.
De Beer said he opened the first Canapax store in North West eight months ago, a month after the Constitutional Court ruled that it was legal to use marijuana for personal consumption and medicinal purposes.
He said the dagga products he sold were based on natural herbs which had health benefits for his patients.
Eastern Cape Cannabis Development Council cultivation adviser Bingi Buckwylde, 40, said the government failed to understand cannabis.
“An industrial body has to be formed in order to regulate this industry. We have to take into consideration the traditional healing side as well.
“There is a grey area that still needs to be ironed out between the cannabis community and the Hawks.”
Asked about the future of cannabis, Buckwylde said: “The future is too green, my friend.”
On September 18, the Constitutional Court passed a landmark judgment declaring private use of cannabis legal.
Public use of the drug remains prohibited and cultivating the plant for sale remains illegal and therefore a criminal offence.
The judgement only acknowledges the use, possession or cultivation of cannabis for personal consumption in private.
The Dispatch
reported on October 9 that national police commissioner General Khehla Sitole had instructed all police officers to ignore the “vague” Constitutional Court judgement and continue with their normal mandate until there was clear legislation in place regarding the use and sale of cannabis.
