Community leaders call for action against illegal cannabis stores in Chatsworth

COMMUNITY leaders in Chatsworth are urging authorities to take action against the proliferation of illegal cannabis stores, highlighting concerns about public safety and the impact on local youth.  

They said outlets were "freely selling" cannabis products close to schools and religious organisations.

This comes soon after Mmamoloko Kubayi, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, confirmed that regulations required for the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act to be implemented would be finalised by March 2026.

In a parliamentary response to DA MP Tobias Chance, Kubayi said the Act could only be implemented once her department had received feedback from all concerned departments. 

These include the departments of health; agriculture; trade, industry and competition; social development; small business and development, the Presidency, and the SAPS.

Yugen Pillay, chairperson of the Chatsworth Community Policing Forum (CPF), said despite the use of cannabis being decriminalised for private use, the public needed to remember that the sale of cannabis was still illegal.

“People are openly selling cannabis. The law regarding the sale of cannabis is quite clear. I have tried many times to get law enforcement to act on this, but they are still awaiting direction from their legal department. A directive that was unfortunately not forthcoming.

“It seems that the legal departments cannot decipher the legislation, and in the meantime, these stores are mushrooming all over. 

“The use of cannabis can act as a gateway drug, and because it is so easily available, more and more people are using it. We are calling on the police to clamp down on these stores and start shutting them down," said Pillay.

He said SAPS had issued a stern warning that the establishment of illegal dispensaries or outlets, online sites and social media platforms, which are marketing and selling cannabis and cannabis-related products to the public, remained illegal, except where specifically allowed in terms of the Medicines and Related Substances Act.

“Despite warnings, cannabis stores continue to open everywhere. Some of these illegal businesses, purporting to operate legally, are also being sold to members of the public as franchises authorised to deal in cannabis and cannabis-related products.

“Dealing in cannabis remains a serious criminal offence. Police are mandated to and will act, not only against businesses that sell cannabis illegally, but also against the customers who buy these products."

Cyril Pillay, the chairperson of the Chatsworth Spiritual Crime Prevention Forum, said: "The increase in cannabis stores in our community is adding to all the social ills we are facing. It is compounding our problems and leading to the degradation of our society. This is also adding to the social economic challenges that already exist.

“People are complacent and due to poor monitoring, we have more than one cannabis store per area. We need proper monitoring and more police operations to curb this."

Denzil Devan, a community leader in Mobeni Heights, said the sharp increase in cannabis stores across communities highlighted a significant gap in legislation. 

“While liquor outlets are bound by strict zoning laws, such as maintaining a set distance from schools, cannabis stores are exploiting the absence of similar regulations, allowing them to operate virtually anywhere. This loophole poses serious concerns for public safety and urban planning,” he added.

Devan said it was more concerning that outlets have included smoking lounges and cannabis bars.

“Many of these outlets have evolved into cannabis smoking lounges or cannabis bars, which likely goes far beyond what Parliament intended when it moved to decriminalise cannabis for personal use and regulate products like cannabis oil and hemp. Without clear policy direction and enforcement, we risk creating unregulated environments that normalise public consumption and weaken community standards."

Jakes Singh, the former chairperson of the Chatsworth CPF, said various cannabis stores have opened near schools and religions institutions over the last two years.

“Not enough checks are done. While a few of the stores are operating legally, most are illegal. Tuck-shops are even selling cannabis. Stores are mushrooming everywhere. Raids are done, and regulators are visiting to check, but it is not done all the time. Too many loopholes are leading to the increase of cannabis stores,” said Singh.

Colonel Booysie Zungu, the spokesperson for metro police,  said the rapid increase of unlicenced cannabis stores and dispensaries within the municipal area was a serious concern. 

“We are working together to identify and dismantle illegal cannabis operations, including unregistered dispensaries, storage facilities, and unlicenced retail stores. These establishments often operate outside the boundaries of national legislation, posing a threat to public health and safety.

“This is in line with our crime prevention mandate and the provisions of the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act and Medicines and Related Substances Act. 

“We are committed to enforcing municipal bylaws, disrupting illegal trade, and working to ensure that all cannabis-related businesses comply with applicable laws. We encourage the public to report suspicious activity through official channels." 

Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela, the chief executive officer of the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra), said cannabis dispensaries were mushrooming and blatantly displaying copies of  Sahpra licences, which were issued authorising cannabis cultivation and exporting of the cannabis flower. 

"Such licences do not authorise these so-called cannabis dispensaries. This is a matter of concern," said Semete-Makokotlela in a statement. 

“It is highly unethical and illegal for any individual or company to claim Sahpra authorisation through forged documentation. We take this matter seriously, and we will work with law enforcement agencies to ensure that offenders are dealt with swiftly and decisively. The public must be protected from such deceptive behaviour." 

Sahpra warned the public to be vigilant and cautious when engaging with service providers that claimed to be licenced by the authority.  

Semete-Makokotlela said Sahpra wasin the process of sourcing a system that used barcoding as a means of authenticating these certificates.

If you suspect that a provider is using a fraudulent Sahpra licence, you can call the authority on 0800 204 307.

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