Magister Scientiae - MSc (Pharmacy Administration and Policy Regulation)

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Browsing by Subject "Cannabis"

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    Cannabidiol: A medicine, health supplement or foodstuff? Analysis of South African policies relating to the introduction of cannabidiol into the market
    (University of the Western Cape, 2022) Boshoff, Suné; van Huyssteen, Mea
    With the recent rise in the popularity of cannabidiol (CBD) around the world, there are many cultivators, manufacturers, and sellers of CBD on the market. It is sold in different dosage forms including oils, used to treat a wide variety of lifestyle diseases and medical conditions. Despite the increasing availability of CBD and its products, there are many controversies and uncertainties regarding the legality and regulation thereof in various countries. The main question is whether CBD is regarded as a medicine, health supplement or merely a foodstuff.
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    Exploration of the current health policies regulating medical cannabis in Lesotho in relation to stringent international regulatory standards
    (University of the Western Cape, 2024) Ntsohi Manti
    Background: Medical cannabis refers to the cannabis used as a medicine or drug to diagnose, treat or prevent diseases or symptoms of illnesses. Globally there has been a rapid interest in the regulation and decriminalisation of medical cannabis. Lesotho recently became one of the first countries in Africa to legalise the exportation of medical cannabis. The country issued licenses and released the Lesotho Drug of Abuse (Cannabis) Regulation in 2018 which permitted and captivated the establishment of companies to cultivate, manufacture, store, distribute and export cannabis grade for medicinal purposes to various nations globally. Aim: This study aims to evaluate whether Lesotho's current health policies regulating medical cannabis conform with the stringent international regulatory standards envisioned to harmonise, standardise, control and ensure the safety, quality and efficacy of cannabis-based products Method: An exploratory-descriptive qualitative research method was utilised to conduct this study, where a thematic literature review was used to explore, map and review the relevant data while identifying comparable themes and patterns between Lesotho and the stringent regulatory authorities as well as other countries that Lesotho trades medical cannabis with. Health policies from the United Nations, International Narcotic Council Board and World Health Organisation were also explored with Lesotho and other countries. The study design involved exploring relevant peer-reviewed literature from published online sources and electronic databases including; Google Scholar, PubMed, and Science Direct. Thematic and descriptive analyses were used to categorically read through various data sources and summarise relevant themes and patterns of the non-numeric information. Results: The results from the selected countries and Lesotho exhibited similarities regarding compliance as far as international legislations, conventions or treaties of medical cannabis are concerned. The recently established Lesotho Narcotic Bureau was found to be lacking some of the fundamental aspects necessary to regulate or monitor the cultivation, manufacturing and exportation of medical cannabis. There are no clear and specific national guidelines controlling medical cannabis administration to the global and local markets such as; Good Manufacturing Practices, Quality Management System, Pharmacovigilance System, and Supply Chain Management as well as a coherent national regulatory framework on prescribing, acquisition, and dispensing of medical cannabis for qualifying conditions. Conclusion: Cannabis, medical cannabis, legislation, and current health policies regulating medical cannabis in Lesotho and other countries were explored. Lesotho Narcotic Bureau (LNB) was found to be deficient in some of the crucial systems, guidelines and regulations particularly those that are needful for harmonisation of medical cannabis to march the global standards. The incapability of LNB was increased by the inactive LMMDCA recently established which could have facilitated the drafting of guidelines and regulations for local and global markets. Therefore, Lesotho needs to gear up infrastructural and financial resources to capacitate and strengthen LNB and LMMDCA regulatory systems to fulfil their roles efficiently. More investments still need to be made for research and development of medical cannabis in Lesotho for evidence-based therapy addressing local and global demands.