The Anti-drug Alliance believes the High Court ruling‚ in favour of recreational dagga use‚ is "a win" for drug addicts.
The alliance's coastal director Andrew Stoller said that dagga could now be used as an "exit drug" in rehabilitation programmes.
"The argument has been used that it is a gateway drug but we have found that it can be used as an exit drug‚" said Stoller.
He said that in their experience in working with alcoholics dagga was used to effectively remedy addiction.
He said the judgement also meant that medical companies could start testing the plant's medicinal effectiveness.
Judge Dennis Davis ruled in favour of Dagga Party leader Jeremy Acton who brought an application to decriminalise the private use of dagga and growing the plant.
- Western Cape High Court rules in favour of private dagga useThe Western Cape High Court has ruled that it is an infringement to ban the use of dagga at home.
Davis declared the limitations on the private use of dagga "unjustifiable" in terms people's constitutional right to privacy.
"I smoked about ten joints‚ went into my heart and made my plea statement. I listened to the cannabis and used it to express my truth‚" said Acton outside the court in Cape Town where a crowd of about fifty pro-dagga activists sang - some even lit dagga pipes.
"Cannabis won this case today‚ I was just the vehicle‚" said Acton.
Emily Rizzo is on an SIT Study Abroad program and produced this story in association with Round Earth Media
- TMG Digital/The Times
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