Image above provided by Royal Swazi Police of officers destroying a new cannabis plantation in the Big Bend area with chemical sprays.
There has been no parliamentary debate yet on eSwatini’s proposed cannabis framework, although a bill is being drafted to this effect and was ‘progressing well.
Speaking on Times of Eswatini television on 7 August 2026, Tshawuka has said the bill would regulate medicinal and industrial cannabis use. He said the first phase of reform was to repeal two acts and replace them with cannabis-specific legislation. These are the Opium and Habit-Forming Drugs Act of 1922 and the Pharmacy Act, which classify cannabis as an illegal substance, preventing its commercial use.
Tshawuka said the second phase of reform would be to open up the cannabis value chain to create jobs and economic opportunities for eSwatini citizens. He said this would pave the way for a regulated cannabis industry that supported economic development while maintaining safeguards against abuse.
Medical cannabis use would transform the health sector and improve quality of life for Swazi citizens, said Tshawuka, adding that the historical definition of cannabis as a dangerous drug prevented the adoption of any positive uses and potential socio-economic benefits.
He said the proposed law would therefore clearly distinguish between industrial hemp and high THC cannabis and there were no plans to allow recreational use in the Kingdom. This is despite the fact that eSwatini is home to one of the world’s most famous ‘recreational’ strains, Swazi Gold, and that it is a primary producer of illicit subcontinent.
In choosing to ignore leveraging its internationally-recognized high THC Swazi Gold brand, the eSwatini is following in the footsteps of Malawi, which has also overlooked its renowned ‘Malawi Gold’ brand in favour of trying to establish a new sector based on low THC cannabis.
In the meantime, eSwatini authorities continue to clamp down on illicit cannabis plantations, with the latest reports coming from the Big Bend where 10 ha of cannabis was destroyed and the Etimbuzulwaneni area where 15 ha were destroyed. No arrests were reported.
