n South African Medical Journal - Comment on the Central Drug Authority's position statement on cannabis : editorial

Abstract

The Central Drug Authority (CDA)'s 'Position statement on cannabis' is a welcome, if somewhat belated, article that gives an indication of the South African (SA) government's response to the shifting sands of local and international public opinion and global drug policies. Most of the policies outlined in this document can be found in the CDA's National Drug Master Plan (NDMP). This article appears to be an attempt to clarify some of those policies, emphasise others and introduce one or two new strategies. Although the title of the paper points to a focus on cannabis, the CDA correctly ties in cannabis issues with those of alcohol, tobacco and other illicit psychoactive substances.