The Cheeba Cannabis Academy in South Africa is the continent's first cannabis educator, and if you have a keen interest in the plant, this might just be the higher learning institution for you. But Trenton Birch, CEO and co-founder of Cheeba Africa, says it's all about learning.

"We discourage our students to come to class after consuming cannabis. We don't believe that the two go hand in hand," Birch told News24.

He added that the perception that cannabis is just about people sitting around getting stoned all day was incredibly dated.

"This is not a stoner campus. It's a campus where people come to learn".

Launched in 2020, the institution opened its first campus in Vereeniging, a few kilometres outside Johannesburg - and another one in Plettenberg near Cape Town.

The sites serve as a space where students can grow, harvest, and explore the growing cannabis industry.

News24 visited the Vereeniging campus during its open day in September to get a glimpse of the facilities. The site can accommodate 190 students and boasts a 120-seater auditorium. It also has a grow tunnel, a cannabis testing lab, and a cannabis private members club for a more hands-on study approach.

Birch said, "When you come to study at one of our campuses, we offer a three-month course with a one-month internship in a cannabis company that we place people into.
The academy covers different courses: growing cannabis from seed to harvest; medicinal cannabis; and exploring the plant's impact on health and wellness".

The Academy offers a non-accredited course endorsed by the University of Limpopo. Their intake ranges from people who are interested in growing, to those working in labs.

"People often ask us what's our target market for our students, and we say a doctor, a farmer and everything else in between. So it really is such a broad industry with so many opportunities".

Selling cannabis in South Africa remains illegal although in 2018 people were permitted to cultivate it for personal private use.

.

Remain nigeria

.

Nigeria should follow suit

Pweetiedude:
Nigeria should follow suit

Why not. Many countries are beginning to realise the economic benefits of the crop other than just smoking it.

One puff one draw frees the mind