WATCH | ‘Will it make me high?’ — Ramaphosa jokes about 'Durban poison' during CSIR visit

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent visit to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) was a mix of serious science, regulatory reflection and unexpected humour.

The president's visit went viral after videos showed him joking about cannabis products and playfully engaging with researchers and ministers in a light-hearted moment.

The visit came just days after the national department of health officially withdrew a controversial regulation that banned the import, production and sale of foodstuffs containing cannabis. The decision to retract the policy followed Ramaphosa’s intervention two weeks earlier after he requested further consultation on the matter.

In a widely shared video of his tour of the CSIR'S cannabis facility, the president joked about “stashing the weed in his pocket” during a playful exchange with science and technology minister Blade Nzimande, referring to the product as “Durban poison”.

The mood turned even more jovial when Phatheka Ndzotoyi, a senior researcher, presented a basket of cannabidiol (CBD)-infused products developed at the facility.

“Try them,” Ndzotoyi encouraged.

“What do you mean, try?” Ramaphosa quipped, prompting laughter from officials and researchers. Curious, the president began probing the specifics of the products, asking how they were made and whether they had any psychoactive effects.

“They won't make you high, we promise,” said Ndzotoyi, reassuring him that the edibles contained CBD isolate, which does not induce a high.

Ramaphosa recalled previous warnings from former health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi.

“Now I forgot to ask, the food — the ones that minister Motsoaledi is fighting against — because he once came to show me and he just laid them all out: brown and white chocolate, Durban poison in a can, and every product made out of cannabis, but as food. So what about that? Talk to me about that?” he asked. 

Ndzotoyi explained that the CSIR works under strict regulations from both the department of health and the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra). “All the oral products that we've developed contain CBD isolate. So you'll still get the relaxing effect without getting high,” she said.

On the issue of illicit cannabis products, Ramaphosa expressed concern, saying: “And these lollipops. I believe they come from offshore, like the Netherlands and places like that.”

Ndzotoyi confirmed the presence of unregulated, potentially dangerous cannabis edibles in the market. “We’ve seen some of the most dangerous gummies out there,” she said.

Beyond the cannabis debate, Ramaphosa’s visit was a platform to showcase South Africa’s research excellence. He was accompanied by Nzimande, his deputy Nomalungelo Gina and parliamentary portfolio committee chair Tsakani Shiviti.

Ramaphosa toured several facilities, including the energy storage test bed and the Biomanufacturing Industry Development Centre. He also visited the Information and Cybersecurity Research Centre and the wind tunnel complex.

“Today I received a personal tour of the world-class facilities on this campus. All of this impressive work is firmly aligned to government’s priorities of driving inclusive growth and job creation, reducing poverty and the high cost of living, and building a capable, ethical and developmental state,” he said.

CSIR CEO Dr Thulani Dlamini said Ramaphosa’s visit marked a major moment for the institution.

“South Africa’s prosperity depends on our ability to innovate. We have the responsibility to ensure that the research, development and innovation emerging from our organisation translates into real and meaningful impacts,” he said.

With 2025 marking the CSIR’s 80th anniversary, Dlamini said the institution is ready to deepen its role in advancing science and supporting industrialisation.

Nzimande emphasised the broader vision for the CSIR.  “The central mantra I have assigned to the DSTI and therefore the CSIR, is for us to work hard over the next five years to place science, technology and innovation at the centre of government, education, industry and society,” he said.

The CSIR supports a wide range of initiatives, including renewable energy solutions, digital health, transport safety systems, and advanced agricultural monitoring.

“As new trade war threats risk hitting some of our vital industries hard, it is imperative that we diversify market access for South African goods. It will also be crucial to use home-grown innovative capabilities ... to produce new generations of exportable goods to new markets,” it said.

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