Cannabis use and development appears to be going mainstream quickly in South Africa. A growing number of venues are offering cannabis-infused foods, according to Independent Online, which also reported on last week’s Cannabis Vexpo 2020, which among other things explored new technologies for processing cannabis for medicinal and recreational use.
Cool cannabis cats give high five for smoking the weed
This year, the COVID-19 pandemic forced The Cannabis Expo’s plans to go up in smoke, writes Chelsea Geach for Independent Online, in a 28 November 2020 article.
But it did not stop South Africa’s cannabis community – as well as experts and investors from around the world – from gathering online to share ideas about the plant and it’s future.
The virtual expo, or “Vexpo”, took place over three days last week, with a focus on investment and development of the cannabis industry in the Western Cape, furthering legalisation, and delving into new technologies for processing cannabis for medical and recreational use.
Live talks and panel discussions were free to attend online, and in parallel to those sessions, a virtual ‘blazing room’ was set up so that attendees could share a smoke, all without leaving the safety and privacy of their homes across the world.
Clinical trials testing medical cannabis in SA
Among the expert speakers was Dr Shiksha Gallow, who is a medical doctor and on the board of Biodata. She is leading clinical trials to test the safety, efficacy and dosages of medical cannabis as a treatment option for certain conditions in South Africa.
“Although we know the plant works, with medical professionals we have to prove it to them. We’ve started our first trial with 1,000 participants where we’re trying to replace opioids with medical cannabis.” Opioids are drugs used to relieve pain, but they can become addictive.
“There is more than enough academic evidence that cannabis is safe. Nobody can ever die from cannabis, it’s extremely safe.”
She said that the stigmatisation of using cannabis prevents some of her patients from getting the relief they need – especially mothers who are making decisions for their children who have cancer or suffer from seizures.
“The main barrier is ignorance. That woman gets told she’s a bad mother and she gets ostracised for going the cannabis route. It breaks my heart. The stigma attached is huge,” Gallow said.
Myrtle Clarke, managing director of Fields of Green for All, highlighted the need for better representation of women in cannabis culture – and also a desperate need to educate government agencies about what is actually legal and how to treat cannabis users.
Read the full story on Independent Online via the link at the bottom of the page.
Cape Town's first cannabis-infused dessert bar launches in Woodstock
With the legalisation of recreational marijuana, the possibilities around what kinds of edibles you can get your hands on seem to be limitless these days, reports Independent Online. A vegan and cannabis-infused ice cream and dessert bar called Lisa's Dessert Bar recently opened in Woodstock in Cape Town.
Their ice cream is coconut milk-based and each tub contains 8mg of CBD, the non-psychoactive primary element of marijuana. CBD helps with pain, anxiety, depression, or can be merely for relaxing.
Lisa's Dessert Bar says on its website: “We're a Capetonian original, guilt-free vegan ice cream, infused with CBD that helps with pain, anxiety, depression, or just merely relaxing,” they say on their website.”
Other menu items include coconut milk-based ice creams, CBD doughnuts and other sweet treats such as cake and ice-cream sandwiches.
Here are some other local restaurants that offer cannabis-infused dishes:
Blowfish restaurant
Blowfish restaurant is a Cape Town-based restaurant that launched the country's first cannabis oil sushi roll, the CANNAfornia Roll, and the CANNAfornia poké bowl.
Bohemian Beach Bums (Durban)
Bohemian Beach Bums, on Durban’s famous party street, Florida Road offers infused milkshakes, chocolates, cookie crumbles, candy floss, chocolate brownies and cookies.
Col’Cacchio (Durban, Cape Town, and Gauteng)
Col’Cacchio is a popular Italian restaurant that launched the first cannabis pizza range in South Africa in collaboration with africanpure. The CBD oil, used on their pizza, contains no THC synthetic chemicals, making it absolutely safe to enjoy.
420 Cafe (Joburg)
420 Cafe offers breakfast, and pizzas that you can create on your own with different kinds of toppings such as chicken, mince, avocado, cheese, olives, bacon and tomatoes.
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[link url="https://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/food-drink/restaurants/cape-town/cape-towns-first-cannabis-infused-dessert-bar-launches-in-woodstock-e43d681a-458a-4812-ad3f-6e44b19c634b"]Independent Online – Cape Town's first cannabis-infused dessert bar launches in Woodstock[/link]