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.
Cannabis operators in three African Countries – the DRC, Kenya and Guinea-Bissau – are under a police investigation triggered by Portugal’s Medicines Regulator. The sector has been shocked by allegations of criminal association, falsified documents aggravated trafficking and money laundering.
Morocco is introducing a certified seed campaign after years of researching which varietals perform best for farmers and regulated markets. PearlBlue Seeds has been working on developing and stabilizing local genetics as a foundation for the local commercial industry.
Lesotho cannabis processor Banel has gone to the Maseru High Court to recover 500 kg of cannabis from Thailand seized by the Lesotho Police in February 2026. Banel says R1,2 million is tied up in the consignment, which it says is legal and that all the paperwork was in place.
eSwatini has ruled out legalizing general adult-use cannabis but will allow citizens access to the plant for medical treatments. That’s the word from Agriculture Minister Mandla Tshawuka, who said the Kingdom was in the process of drafting a bill that would allow cultivation for industrial and medical cannabis only.
Zimbabwe has slashed registration and licensing fees for industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis by as much as 90%, seeking to attract investment, create jobs and accelerate efforts to diversify its agricultural exports beyond tobacco,
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI broke ranks with the Muslim world by legalizing industrial and medical cannabis in 2021. However, this is not novel for the Kingdom which has long debated how to control cannabis in a conservative society that once had a healthy pharmaceutical trade with Europe before prohibition.
Two Ghanaian companies – MG Adom Limited and Jiliopta Limited – have become the first to receive licences to cultivate cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes under the government’s regulated cannabis programme.
Rwanda’s first major cannabis project, a major production facility being constructed by the local subsidiary of KKOG California, has stalled over funding commitments and a land dispute that has tied up over US$10 million of investment capital.
Rwanda is positioning itself as a low-cost, export-only cannabis producer, and has tripled its budget for cannabis-related infrastructure to roughly US$5 million for the current financial year. Although its cannabis plans are shrouded in secrecy, the simplicity of its regulatory system is designed to attract foreign investors.
eSwatini is well known for its Swazi Gold cannabis landrace, but the Kingdom is looking to hemp as a key economic driver. The Agriculture Department has authorized a pilot project to see which varietals are most suited to local conditions.
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