Finally Freed—<i>Cannabis</i> in South Africa: A Review Contextualised within Global History, Diversity, and Chemical Profiles

<i>Cannabis sativa</i> L. is a monotypic genus belonging to the family Cannabaceae. It is one of the oldest species cultivated by humans, believed to have originated in Central Asia. In pivotal judgements in 2016 and 2018, the South African Constitutional Court legalised the use of <i>Cannabis</i> within the country for medicinal and recreational purposes, respectively. These decrees opened opportunities for in-depth research where previously there had been varying sentiments for research to be conducted on the plant. This review seeks to examine the history, genetic diversity, and chemical profile of <i>Cannabis</i>. The cultivation of <i>Cannabis</i> by indigenous people of southern Africa dates back to the eighteenth century. Indigenous rural communities have been supporting their livelihoods through <i>Cannabis</i> farming even before its legalisation. However, there are limited studies on the plant’s diversity, both morphologically and genetically, and its chemical composition. Also, there is a lack of proper documentation of <i>Cannabis</i> varieties in southern Africa. Currently, the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) has 15 genome assemblies of <i>Cannabis</i> obtained from hemp and drug cultivars; however, none of these are representatives of African samples. More studies are needed to explore the species’ knowledge gaps on genetic diversity and chemical profiles to develop the <i>Cannabis</i> sector in southern Africa.