Green Gold can alleviate pain at the pumps

With global oil prices approaching $100/barrel and the world still emerging from the
Covid19 economic catastrophe, hopes for South Africa’s economic recovery look
extremely bleak. The knock-on effect will be rapid increases in foodstuffs, transport
and basic needs. As poverty and hunger deepen, the result will be an increase in
crime and social upheaval.

South Africa’s favourable climate places the country at the forefront of the booming global opportunity in cannabis and hemp. An industry that has a global net worth of around $170-billion, could see the nation add significant points to its GDP, but only if we grab the opportunity that is in front of us.

Growing conditions are so favourable and cost per gram to produce is comparable and better than anywhere else on the planet. The main threat to South Africa’s emergence as a world cannabis grower comes from the developing world, with nations like Uruguay and Argentina already making enormous inroads globally, while our officials remain asleep at the wheel.

“The world’s cannabis economy is gaining momentum and once again South Africa’s policymakers are dithering while embroiling an industry in financial losses, red tape and extreme frustration. South Africa’s Cannabis Masterplan has no-one driving it and finds itself yet another idea gathering dust, while production in the developing world is gathering pace,” says Eben Jansen, commercial cannabis farmer, exporter and the Dagga Party’s Mayoral candidate for Cape Town.

 

Export processes in SA are hampered, while an unregulated industry sees many challenges to growers and investors alike, says Jansen. The mood in the nation tells us that it’s time to get off our couches and work to recover the losses of the last two years. Fully embracing the cannabis, hemp and the hemp biofuels solutions and technological advancement that this brings will allow us to say goodbye to yesterday’s energy technologies.

The closure of the Cape Town refinery at Milnerton is not only a sign of the end of an era, but could hamper the city’s fuel supply well into the new year.  “Swift action is needed to untangle the mess the industry finds itself in”, says Jansen.  “Green Gold is a proven economic concept the world over, it’s time to move forward
and take our place at the global table.”

 

Written by: Hylton Mitchell
Published by: cannabispromoter.com