Misconception #1.

The first time I heard someone refer to Dagga Social Clubs, immediately an image of a group of stoners – think Mystery Inc. (yes, I am referring to Scooby Doo and his crew) – came to mind.  Hanging out at some 420 Club, all chilled and puff-puff-pass-like.

Misconception #2

Private Cannabis Clubs, like The ZOL Club, could be better compared to Reader’s Digest Book Club or the Spur Secret Tribe, in that they really aren’t “social” clubs in the traditional sense of the word.  There is no clubhouse where a password is required to gain access at the door, no exclusive gatherings, in secret or otherwise;  Members don’t sit around the bonfire, acoustic guitar and the sound of “kumbaya” in the background, sharing weed porn & daring each other to do ridiculously irresponsible things, like smoking Rooibaard  through gasmask bongs, in the endless pursuit of confirming or busting the myth that there is a limit to just how stoned one can get: once you’ve surpassed that pinnacle, you smoke yourself sober. No. And please, don’t try this at home.

Cannabis social clubs are, in fact, a company of adult cannabis consumers who assist their club members in the safe cultivation and consumption of cannabis for their personal use. The club oversees and manages the process of growing Top Shelf Indoor and the appropriate distribution thereof to the relevant club members.

Growing weed – for private use – has been legal in South Africa for three years. A Constitutional Court judgment declared, in 2018, that parts of the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act and Medicines and Related Substances Control Act is unconstitutional, and decriminalised the private use of cannabis. In other words, an adult may cultivate, possess and use Cannabis in his personal and private capacity. Buying, or selling the reefer, remains illegal and punishable by law, which ultimately means that one is required to grow your own. Much cheaper, and easier said than done.

This is where the Club comes in.

It is important to understand that Dagga Private Clubs only grow on behalf of their members and that you cannot simply buy pot from the club as non-member. Essentially, the Club rents a space to each member (aka the “private space”) where the client’s plants are grown and cared for, providing professional horticultural services.

The bud is harvested, cured and trimmed, analyzed and tested, packaged and shipped to its’ owner.

The private way of cultivating and distributing weed within a club environment, is safer and a lot more transparent than if one had to obtain it on the black market.

According to ENCOD’s (The European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies) definition, “Cannabis Social Clubs are set up to protect the rights of cannabis consumers and producers and help establish cannabis policies that benefit society as a whole.”

As champions of cannabis for medicinal and recreational use, The ZOL Club aims to promote the safe, controlled and responsible consumption of cannabis. Eliminate the need for buying on the black market. Provide useful resources for local consumers and cultivators. Inform members and the general public about advances in medicinal cannabis use and lobby for legislation, regulating the cultivation, trade and use of cannabis.