Although Lesotho legalized cannabis exports in 2018, Africa has been a slow starter in joining the ranks of those countries pushing for reform and regulated markets. Although fewer than a quarter of the continent’s countries have partially legalized cannabis, primarily medical cannabis for export and industrial hemp, Africa has the potential to be a future powerhouse on the international cannabis stage. Stay in the loop with all the news, policy, legislative, regulatory and market developments with Cannabiz Africa, your reliable content guide to the African cannabis environment.
Morocco’s ‘Mpondoland’ is the Rif Valley in the north where cannabis has been grown for centuries. Although the Kingdom has put Rif farmers at the centre of its cannabis reforms, only a select few have been granted cultivation licenses and the majority of farmers remain criminalized and locked outside the system.
Batswana Cabinet Minister, Tiroyaone Ntsima says Angola’s business community should consider investing in Botswana’s new industrial and medicinal cannabis sector. Even though cannabis is illegal in Angola, Ntsima said Angolan investment in Botswana cannabis would enjoy the same protection rights as in any other market.
Ghanaian traditional healer Dr Christiana Torvor has called for a public awareness campaign around the benefits of medical cannabis and industrial hemp. She made the call during the launch of her new book in Accra, saying that the benefits of cannabis could only be unlocked if the social stigma was broken.
Mauritius’ National Agency for Drug Control (NADC) has completed its final report into a proposed cannabis policy for the Indian Ocean island. The report has been presented to the PM’s office, and although details are still under confidential, it is anticipated that the cannabis will be decriminalized..
Gambian Law enforcement officials have decided to defy the ‘Curse of Jinack Island’ and take action against its illegal cannabis farmers there. Jinack’s growers are said to be protected by ancestral spirits that will bring misfortune to any interfering outsiders.
Malawi is on a drive to issue cannabis and hemp licenses in a bid to boost investment in the sector. Regulatory chief Chris Banda says 55 such licenses were issued in the first quarter of 2026 and the CRA hopes to issue a further 130 licenses before the end of the year.
A dispute between Lesotho cannabis processor Banel (Pty) Ltd and the police over a half-ton consignment of confiscated Thai cannabis has been resolved by the High Court – the cannabis was legally imported by Banel and must be handed back.
While South Africa is still trying to make sense of its rich cannabis landrace heritage, Morocco has wasted no time in placing its Beldia landrace at the centre of cannabis policy development. Cannaflex Morocco says its Beldia medical cannabis products are now stocked in Swiss pharmacies.
The arrest in Nigeria of a 101 year-old great grandmother for dealing in cannabis has gone viral on social media. Esther Ogunmabo has been released on bail and is to receive ‘counselling’ while authorities ponder on an appropriate criminal sanction.
Lilongwe’s University of Agriculture and Natural Resources has begun investing in cannabis skills and training in partnership with Malawi’s leading cannabis producer, Invegrow. With the backing of the Central Regulatory Authority, students are starting to get ‘hands-on’ education in cannabis cultivation.
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