{"id":83287,"date":"2026-04-22T09:20:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T09:20:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/local-cannabis-producers-blocked"},"modified":"2026-04-22T09:58:52","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T09:58:52","slug":"local-cannabis-producers-blocked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/local-cannabis-producers-blocked","title":{"rendered":"Local Cannabis Producers \u201cBlocked\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Botswana. <\/strong><\/span>The Cannabis Association of Botswana (CAB) has raised alarm of prolonged administrative obstruction that has prevented it from obtaining registration, effectively sidelining it from the country\u2019s emerging cannabis and hemp industryBotswana Travel Guide.<\/b><\/p>\n

The Cannabis Association of Botswana (CAB) says sustained administrative delays have effectively barred it from participating in the country\u2019s emerging cannabis and hemp industry, raising concerns about transparency and fairness in the sector\u2019s rollout.<\/p>\n

The association claims it has been waiting for more than a year for a Certificate of Registration from the Registrar of Societies, despite what it describes as repeated engagement and full compliance with regulatory requirements.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor over a year, CAB has been denied a Certificate of Registration by the Registrar of Societies Botswana despite consistent engagement and compliance efforts,\u201d the association said on Tuesday. It added that the prolonged delay has raised \u201cserious concerns regarding the ability of civil society organisations to participate meaningfully within the sector.\u201dBotswana Travel Guide<\/p>\n

LEGAL BATTLE ESCALATES<\/p>\n

CAB says its legal team has formally written to the Registrar of Societies seeking clarity on the continued refusal to issue the registration certificate, but claims no response has been received.<\/p>\n

The matter has since been escalated to Ditshwanelo \u2013 The Botswana Centre for Human Rights for review and guidance.Botswana Travel Guide<\/p>\n

The association argues that the administrative bottleneck has prevented it from formally operating at a time when Botswana\u2019s cannabis and hemp regulatory framework is rapidly taking shape.<\/p>\n

EMERGING INDUSTRY UNDER SCRUTINY<\/p>\n

Botswana\u2019s cannabis and hemp sector is still in its early stages but is increasingly viewed as a potential new economic frontier for diversification.Botswana Travel Guide<\/p>\n

CAB says excluding local civil society voices risks undermining public trust and limiting the developmental benefits of the industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cBotswana stands at a pivotal moment in developing its cannabis and hemp industry,\u201d the association said. \u201cEnsuring that civil society organisations are able to operate transparently and lawfully is critical to maintaining public trust, promoting responsible education, and supporting inclusive sector development.\u201d<\/p>\n

FIRST LICENCE SPARKS CONTROVERSY<\/p>\n

The controversy comes after confirmation that Swedish-linked company Hemp Holding AB, through its local subsidiary Hemp Innovations Botswana, has secured Botswana\u2019s first licence to cultivate medical cannabis and industrial hemp.Botswana Travel Guide<\/p>\n

The development has triggered debate over foreign participation in strategic industries, value retention, and regulatory fairness, with critics questioning how local actors can compete amid what they describe as uneven approval processes.<\/p>\n

CALLS FOR TRANSPARENCY AND FAIRNESS<\/p>\n

CAB insists it remains committed to neutral, evidence-based advocacy and responsible engagement, but says its exclusion raises broader questions about equity in the sector\u2019s establishment.<\/p>\n

The association says it will convene a press conference to outline the timeline of events, legal challenges, stakeholder engagements, and what it describes as the \u201crole of civil society in ensuring transparency in a high-value emerging industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Source: Botswana Gazette<\/b><\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Botswana<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Botswana. The Cannabis Association of Botswana (CAB) has raised alarm of prolonged administrative obstruction that has prevented it from obtaining registration, effectively sidelining it from the country\u2019s emerging cannabis and hemp industryBotswana Travel Guide. The Cannabis Association of Botswana (CAB) says sustained administrative delays have effectively barred it from participating in the country\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":83286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6],"tags":[234],"class_list":["post-83287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-files","tag-botswana"],"yoast_head":"\nLocal Cannabis Producers \u201cBlocked\u201d - Botswana<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Cannabis Association of Botswana (CAB) has raised alarm of prolonged administrative obstruction that has prevente ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/local-cannabis-producers-blocked\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Local Cannabis Producers \u201cBlocked\u201d\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Cannabis Association of Botswana (CAB) has raised alarm of prolonged administrative obstruction that has prevente ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/local-cannabis-producers-blocked\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Botswana\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-22T09:20:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-22T09:58:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/botswana\/sites\/38\/2026\/04\/sm_1776839180.403585.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/local-cannabis-producers-blocked#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/local-cannabis-producers-blocked\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Local Cannabis Producers \u201cBlocked\u201d\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-22T09:20:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-22T09:58:52+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/local-cannabis-producers-blocked\"},\"wordCount\":492,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/local-cannabis-producers-blocked#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/botswana\/sites\/38\/2026\/04\/sm_1776839180.403585.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Botswana\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"files\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/local-cannabis-producers-blocked#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/local-cannabis-producers-blocked\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/local-cannabis-producers-blocked\",\"name\":\"Local Cannabis Producers \u201cBlocked\u201d - 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