Cannabis remains the most used drug in South Africa even though amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) such as Tik pose the greatest threat, the Central Drug Authority said on Thursday.
”Cannabis abuse in South Africa is twice the global norm,” CDA deputy chairperson David Bayever told the media, law enforcement and international representatives at a presentation.
While the international norm was 4%, in South Africa it was just more than 8% of the population who used cannabis.
Bayever said cannabis was the most major drug choice among South Africans.
He also said the cannabis produced in South Africa was more potent than that of most other countries.
This is because of the high levels of tetrahydrocannabol (THC), which makes the drug more addictive.
However, Tik and its ATS counterparts remain the biggest threat.
This is because they can be easily produced — in a basic kitchen, for example.
Production is also made easier because the ingredients used — ephedrine and pseudoephedrine (precursor drugs) — are produced in the country and therefore do not need to be smuggled in, which is also costly.
The Southern African representative for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Jonathan Lucas said the Tik problem at present had the potential to become even more of a threat.
”You can get more profit out of Tik.”
He said regional cooperation was needed to combat the flow of drugs, especially precursor drugs.
”The most important thing is to support the chemical monitoring unit together with the pharmaceutical companies.
”If the countries in Southern Africa do not take the control of chemical precursor as an important issue you’re going to have a major problem,” said Lucas.
Dagga hauls
Western Cape police have arrested two men and seized dagga with an estimated street value of nearly R1-million in Bishop Lavis. Sergeant November Filande said on Thursday that the arrests followed a tip-off about suspicious parcels at a courier company.
Police arrested a 49-year-old man from Delft and a 32-year-old man from Nyanga when they arrived to collect the parcels which contained 21 boxes of dagga, worth about R920 000 on the street.
In Pretoria dagga worth an estimated R140 000 on the street has been confiscated in two incidents, Gauteng police said on Thursday.
A 35-year-old man was found with 50kg of dagga, with a street value of R100 000, at the Mooiplaas squatter camp during a police operation in Erasmia on Wednesday, said Captain Tessa Jansen.
The man already had a five year suspended sentence for dealing in dagga.
The same day in Atteridgeville, police acting on information obtained during an earlier arrest searched a house and found women packing dagga into paper bags and matchboxes.
”There was a lot of dagga everywhere on the floors, rooms, kitchens … in a disused fridge,” said Jansen.
A crowd gathered outside and told police the owner of the house also used another house nearby.
In search of that house, police found more dagga. They also found soft serve ice-cream on the floor and a large quantity of dog and cat food, thought to be stolen.
They suspected the empty ice-cream and animal food containers were being used to transport the dagga.
Jansen said a total of 20kg of dagga, with an estimated street value of R40 000, was found in both houses. The dog and cat food was valued at R10 000.
She said the two women were arrested, but refused to provide information about the owner of the houses. — Sapa