By Gofaone Motsamai

When tourism researcher Dr Jean Manaliyo began asking people in Mahikeng what they knew about cannabis tourism, many were curious about how it could shape their community and economy. That curiosity has now taken his research across borders.

The North-West University (NWU) researcher will present his paper titled “Community perception towards cannabis tourism and socio-economic impacts in Mahikeng, South Africa” at a conference hosted by the University of Algarve in Portugal from 12 to 14 November 2025.

His work has been accepted for presentation and publication, and he will attend the conference in person.

“The study focuses on community knowledge and perceptions of cannabis tourism in Mahikeng,” says Dr Manaliyo, who is from the School of Tourism Management and Tourism Research in Economic Environs and Society (TREES). “There are growing calls for the South African government to legalise and decriminalise the use of cannabis, not only for medicinal use but also for recreational purposes, as a tourism product.”

One of the key findings of his study is that participants held differing views on the legalisation of cannabis. Some participants supported its legalisation, arguing that cannabis tourism could bring economic benefits, create jobs, and generate revenue from tourists.

Those opposed to legalisation argued that cannabis tourism could lead to an increase in crime. However, others suggested that, like alcohol, cannabis could be legalised under certain restrictions to ensure proper control. In addition, some participants noted that cannabis is used for medical purposes and as an energy booster.

A multi-billion market in some countries

In other parts of the world cannabis is already part of tourism activities, Dr Manaliyo says.

“In the USA, the Netherlands and Canada, people travel just to consume cannabis. These countries have facilities where visitors gather to consume cannabis, have fun and then go back to their countries,” he said. “The cannabis market is worth more than USD 20 billion, which shows its potential for tourism development.”

Dr Manaliyo says his study was driven by the growing debate around the possible economic and social effects of cannabis legalisation. “Some provinces like the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal already have people who grow cannabis. The government could tap into this and formalise it to create jobs and generate revenue.”

His research involved community members, traditional leaders and the police. He obtained ethics clearance from the Economic and Management Sciences Research Ethics Committee, the NWU and permission from Research Department in the South African Police Service before starting his fieldwork.

As his research findings show, the overall sentiment in the groups who participated in his study was positive, indicating that cannabis tourism could make a real impact on local economies.

Dr Jean Manaliyo