Africa’s first medicinal cannabis dispensary is preparing to open its doors. Staff at the clinic, which is located in Durban, is striving to clear the negative stigma that currently surrounds the topic of cannabis.

This is the only medicinal cannabis dispensary in the African continent. It will be housed inside the Holistic Relief Wellness and Pain Management Centre.

Don’t expect to get your hands on some cannabis as soon as you enter the medicinal cannabis dispensary, however. Patients must first consult with a healthcare practitioner, such as a doctor, homeopath or chiropractor, in order to gain a prescription for cannabis-infused oils and extracts.

Africa’s first medicinal cannabis dispensary will sell imported CBD products

June 1 is the day that this medicinal cannabis dispensary will start welcoming customers in the South African city of Durban.

A wide selection of imported products created using a cannabis compound called cannabidiol (CBD) will be sold inside the dispensary. Scientific studies have spotlighted the therapeutic benefits of CBD, which was rescheduled by South Africa’s Medicines Control Council in October of last year.

What this means is that anyone who obtains CBD-based products from Africa’s first medicinal cannabis dispensary will be legally allowed to do so, as long as they procure the pot with a prescription.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is another well-known cannabis compound.  The most significant difference, when compared with CBD, is the fact that THC is a mind-altering psychoactive constituent of the cannabis plant. This cannabinoid is responsible for making consumers feel “stoned” or “high” and it will not be sold inside Durban’s medical cannabis dispensary.

South African investor and businessman, Krithi Thaver, is the founder of the dispensary. He says that CBD oil is suitable for relieving the symptoms of high blood pressure, muscle spasms, chronic pain, diabetes, cancer, insomnia, and epilepsy. These claims have been backed by scientific research.

Africa’s first medicinal cannabis dispensary will promote cannabis law reform

Unfortunately, a lot of South Africans are being criminalized for using medicinal cannabis.

Things could soon be changing.

Durban’s medical cannabis dispensary will be more than a supplier of cannabis-based medical products. Thaver describes the dispensary as an “institution” and his goal is to support cannabis law reform in South Africa. The medical cannabis institution will inform patients about cannabis-based medicines, the benefits and how they can make their own.

“We want to break the stigma around cannabis. Many people in South Africa are using cannabis as a form of alternative medication, but they don’t understand that different compounds can be effective at treating different conditions,” Thaver said.

“We want to train people who are producing their own [cannabis medication] to follow international standards, such as those in the US,” he added.

Founder of Africa’s first medicinal cannabis dispensary wants to engage with the government

Thaver wants to make a difference with Africa’s first medicinal cannabis dispensary.

He hopes that the launch of his dispensary will capture the attention of the national government and pressure them to admit to the failure of cannabis prohibition. He also wants the African government to embrace legislation for the benefit of patients countrywide.

“We want to start engaging with the government to start the process of decriminalizing cannabis in South Africa, and to lift all criminal charges against patients who have been criminalized for using cannabis. We want to educate those making the decisions on why cannabis is scientifically proven to treat people … [and] we want to get doctors who have clinical expertise involved so we can take the cause forward,” Thaver said.