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African News
Cannabiz Africa brings you the hottest breaking African cannabis news right here! From crucial developments in laws and reform to socio-economic changes in the industry. Find your latest dose of breaking news right here and stay onto of the earliest developments!
Namibia’s Jailed Cannabis Organization President Brian Jaftha Ends Hunger Strike
The jailed Ganja Users of Namibia leader Brian Jaftha (pictured here) ended his hunger strike after five days following the intervention of Namibia’s presidency which says that it will pick up on his human rights complaints. And it looks like he may be out on parole soon.
Infrastructure Snags Slow Down Rwanda’s Flagship Cannabis Development Project
Rwanda’s Development Board has put up US$1,5 million of the US$3 million needed to complete a major project in partnership with US company KKOG which has already sunk US$10 million into its Musanze facility. The project, already delayed by a year, is now ‘83%’ complete according to the RDB.
Infrastructure Snags Slow Down Rwanda’s Flagship Cannabis Development Project
15 May 2025 at 10:15:00
Rwanda’s Development Board has put up US$1,5 million of the US$3 million needed to complete a major project in partnership with US company KKOG which has already sunk US$10 million into its Musanze facility. The project, already delayed by a year, is now ‘83%’ complete according to the RDB.
Namibia’s Jailed Cannabis Organization President Brian Jaftha Ends Hunger Strike
9 May 2025 at 11:00:00
The jailed Ganja Users of Namibia leader Brian Jaftha (pictured here) ended his hunger strike after five days following the intervention of Namibia’s presidency which says that it will pick up on his human rights complaints. And it looks like he may be out on parole soon.
Rastas Lead the Drive for ‘Full Adult-Use' Cannabis Legalization in Botswana
9 May 2025 at 10:30:00
Botswana’s President Duma Boko is to legalize medical and industrial cannabis under his new government, but the nation’s Rastafarian community wants him to go further and legalize cannabis for full adult-use.
Cannabis Becoming a Human Rights Issue in Namibia as Jailed Activist Brian Jaftha Embarks on a Hunger Strike
7 May 2025 at 17:30:00
Cannabis has become a human rights issue more than ever in Namibia as the country becomes the new frontline in the push for legalization. Following last week’s protest march in Windhoek, jailed Namibian cannabis leader Brian Jaftha has gone on hunger strike in a call for human rights
Cannabis Legalization on the Agenda As Tanzania Prepares for October Elections
3 May 2025 at 08:45:00
Activists in Tanzania are calling on the government to legalise cannabis as the country prepares for a general election in October 2025, which the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) is expected to win. However, it appears there's still a long road ahead for any softening of prohibitionist attitudes in the East African country.
Namibian Chiefs: Legalization 'Will Bring Madness to the People'
3 May 2025 at 09:00:00
Former Namibian Justice Minister and Ongandjera Traditional Authority spokesperson, Sakeus Shangula (pictured here), says cannabis legalization runs against the grain of the country’s commitment to prevent substance abuse. He says there is increased alcohol and tobacco consumption amongst Namibia’s youth and any form of legalization will make matters worse.
Namibian Cannabis Activists to Take to Windhoek’s Streets This Saturday to Call for Legalization
30 April 2025 at 10:30:00
The cannabis legalization movement in Namibia is gathering momentum as a second protest march is planned for this Saturday in the capital. More protests are planned ahead of a July court hearing challenging the constitutionality of cannabis prohibition.
Morocco’s Historic Moment as it Exports Landrace to the Pharma Industry for the First Time
23 April 2025 at 17:00:00
Morocco is Africa’s leading cannabis export nation having embarked on an ambitious legalizatio progamme that put small-scale farmers at its core. Now start up Cannaflex has successfully exported for the first time the famed Moroccan landrace, Beldia, to European pharmaceutical buyers
Namibian Activists Call for Legalization of Medical Cannabis on 420 Day
22 April 2025 at 10:00:00
Namibian cannabis activists marched in Windhoek on 20 April 2025 to mark 420 Day and to call for the legalization of medical cannabis. The march, led by advocate Borro Ndungula (pictured here) of the Ganja Users of Namibia (GUN), was aimed at highlighting an upcoming court case challenging the Government’s prohibitionist stance..
Major International Cannabis Conference Coming to SA: Overcoming Barriers and Developing Standards
16 April 2025 at 10:30:00
A major international conference on ‘Barriers to Entry’ in the cannabis industry is to take place in South Africa next month. The ASTM conference will also look at refining international standards on cannabis food and beverages. Deadline for registration is next week.
Buffalo Soldiers: Zambian Defence Force’s Cannabis Mission to Malawi
16 April 2025 at 09:00:00
The Zambian Defence Force National Service is the only entity in the country legally permitted to cultivate and sell industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis. It recently sent a delegation to Malawi on a cannabis fact-finding mission as it prepares to be a potential player in the African market.
Probably a World Record: Nigeria Destroys 1,4 Million Tons of Illegal Cannabis in One Go
14 April 2025 at 11:00:00
Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) carried out what is probably the biggest cannabis burn ever: 1,4 million tons of cannabis were destroyed in Abuja at the weekend as part of a public drug awareness campaign. By way of comparison, legal cannabis sales in the US in 2023 amounted to less than 3 000 tons.
Botswana to Establish ‘Central Cannabis Authority’ to Oversee Policy Implementation and Regulation
12 April 2025 at 12:00:00
Botswana is to establish a central institutional authority to oversee the roll-out of a planned medical and industrial cannabis strategy. This is one of the recommendations by the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture in a policy document drawn up for the Government and leaked to Cannabiz Africa.
Main Networking Event of the Year: Cheeba Africa’s Industry Summit at Cannabis Expo
9 April 2025 at 18:30:00
Cheeba Africa has announced it will hold a two day ‘Cannabis and Hemp Summit’ at the Cannabis Expo to bring stakeholders together to network, upskill and develop their business concepts. It will also provide a forum for the industry to discuss how best to deal with Government in the imminent ‘stakeholder discussons’ on cannabis policy.
'If SA Gets Cannabis Framework Right, It Could Be a Blueprint for BRICS+'
7 April 2025 at 09:00:00
An unlikely newcomer to the cannabis industry commentariat has just weighed in with the unlikely notion that if South Africa gets its policy framework right, it could serve as a blueprint for the BRICS+ group of nations. Independent media owner Dr Iqbal Surve, says cannabis could be a way of fostering new trade relationships outside traditional cannabis markets.
Last Mover Advantage: Botswana Better Placed Than SA to Become Regional Hemp Powerhouse
2 April 2025 at 14:30:00
Botswana looks set to bypass the regulatory nightmare that has beset South Africa's industrial cannabis industry by putting in a set of rules for the game before it opens up the market. Neighbouring South Africa, by comparison, has found itself in a quandary where permits are being issued with no clear market guidelines yet in place.
SANDF: Cross Border Cannabis Trafficking Almost a ‘Daily Occurrence’
30 March 2025 at 10:30:00
The SANDF has been deployed for the last six months along the South Africa’s northern and eastern borders to combat transnational smuggling. Defence Web reports that this month’s seizure of R1,5 m worth of cannabis on the border between KwaZulu Natal and eSwatini highlights how porous the country’s frontiers are to drug smugglers.
‘Heartbreaking’ Policy Inertia and Public Stigma Holding Back Kenyan Hemp Sector
24 March 2025 at 09:00:00
Cannabis is still stuck in research mode in Kenya, despite Government promises to allow an industrial hemp sector to develop. One of the major problems is the stigma attached to cannabis, which stakeholders have suggested be countered with a public education campaign.
Zimbabwe’s 'Dr Zoey': The Region Should Harmonize Regulations And Market Itself as a Solid Bloc on World Markets
22 March 2025 at 13:15:00
Imagine a ‘Cannabis SADEC’ in which the member countries harmonized their regulatory criteria and worked as a solid bloc to market southern African medical and industrial cannabis to the world. That’s the vision of Zimbabwe’s leading cannabis change-maker, Dr Zorodzai Maroveke who says that would make a real difference Africa’s prospects of becoming a real player in the global game.
Namibia: Definition of Dealing Under Scrutiny in the Courts
17 March 2025 at 11:30:00
Namibian law assumes anyone found with over 115 gm of cannabis is guilty of dealing. That definition is being contested in the Windhoek High Court where a Keetmanshoop man convicted of having 241 gm in his possession was convicted as a drug dealer.
Botswana Leverages Gaberone’s Twin City Status with Toronto to its Cannabis Advantage
4 March 2025 at 10:00:00
Botswana is the latest African country to partially legalize cannabis, and South African and Canadian stakeholders are getting in on the regulatory ground floor. Botswana hopes to use South African and Canadian expertise in getting a framework in place that will enable it to use cannabis to reduce its dependence on diamond exports, stimulate business and reduce unemployment.
Cannabis is the Gateway Drug to the World’s New Plant-based Medicine Revolution
1 March 2025 at 08:30:00
Plant-based therapies are becoming all the rage as more scientists unlock nature’s secrets to find new healing and wellness benefits. Africa is well-poised to take advantage of the new global plant-based product revolution that is integrating cosmetics and healing.
Cannabis Mission DRC: Cheeba to the Rescue to Fix Broken Hemp Project
26 February 2025 at 07:00:00
The DRC hasn’t featured much in the African legal cannabis landscape because the industry is going through the teething pains of developing an export market. A major industrial hemp project near Kinshasa ran into trouble with its first harvest and called in South African-based Cheeba Consultancy to help iron out the problems.
Ghana: Clearing the Ground for West Africa’s First Industrial Cannabis Revolution
24 February 2025 at 10:00:00
After years of legislative delays, Ghana’s plans to develop a hemp sector are finally underway. It hasn't been an easy ride getting here says 'Hempire's' CEO Nana Kwaku Agyemang. He tells Cannabiz Africa that large tracts of land are being cleared for hemp planting and that industrial cannabis in Ghana is open for business.
Zimbabwe Hopes Local Genetics Research Will Lower High Input Costs of Cannabis Farming
18 February 2025 at 14:00:00
Zimbabwe has embarked on a programme to cross-breed indigenous landrace strains with imported genetics in the hope of bringing down farm input costs. This comes as it struggles to build traction in the industrial hemp market with only seven of the 48 licensees actually in operation.
Malawi Makes Up Lost Ground as Cannabis Momentum Begins to Build
18 February 2025 at 08:00:00
Malawi’s ‘head of cannabis’ says that the creation of a single cannabis authority, co-ordination between government departments and meaningful incentives for foreign investors have laid a solid foundation for future growth. Malawi is now poised to capitalize on its most famous landrace, Malawi Gold, as the export market opens up.
Colorado-Based Nutiva Gets in Quick as Botswana Begins Developing Hemp Sector
17 February 2025 at 06:00:00
Botswana is to kick off its part-legalization of cannabis with a hemp business summit in Gaberone in April, at which international companies and banks will be in attendance. The meeting’s main objective is to chart a regulatory way forward.
Rwanda Sets Aside Large Site for Cannabis Production, Five Companies Interested
1 February 2025 at 05:30:00
Last year Rwanda issued the first cannabis industry guidelines focusing on medical and industrial cannabis for export. Kigali has now set aside a large tract of land as a cannabis hub and is looking for investors.
African Cannabis Hits an Impasse: Limited Vision, Disappointing Exports and No Local Market Development
29 January 2025 at 19:00:00
Africa has missed out on the first wave of cannabis legalization that has swept the Americas and Europe. Exports have not lived up to expectation and there has been limited local market development. African cannabis is now at an impasse and is being left further behind as international markets grow exponentially .
Morocco: Growers Call for Recreational Cannabis to be Legalized as Hemp Stockpile Mounts and Prices Drop
24 January 2025 at 12:30:00
Morocco is Africa’s largest exporter of cannabis, mostly hemp for industrial purposes. However, cannabis reform has faltered with record crops and lower prices, prompting traditional growers to call for a legal domestic adult-use market to be legalized.
Namibian Police Seize 380 kg Cannabis in December, Concerns That Other Drug Use is Rising
17 January 2025 at 06:45:00
Namibian police are concerned that the country is becoming a “nation of drug addicts and drug dealers". This follows the arrest of 126 people in December for drug-related offences, the appearance of metamphetamine in the country and the increasing use of Namibians as ‘drug mules’.
Hello Hemp: Networking Event in Nairobi is Kenya’s First Step Towards Developing an Industrial Cannabis Sector
6 January 2025 at 14:00:00
Kenya has taken the first step towards realizing the potential of industrial cannabis with a landmark hemp workshopping conference planned for Nairobi on 20 January 2025.
Africa: Cannabis Reform Stuck in the Shadows of a Substance Abuse Crisis
6 January 2025 at 07:00:00
Cannabis reform in Africa is taking a very different route from the legalization in other jurisdictions as the continent’s policy-makers see the plant simply as a drug. That approach means that cannabis is lumped in the same category as heroin, metamphetamines and cocaine which tends to obscure the real drug problem - Africa's growing synthetic drugs crisis.
Going into 2025, Africa’s Potential to be a Medical Cannabis Powerhouse Remains an Elusive Dream
30 December 2024 at 09:00:00
Africa faces numerous hurdles if it is ever to realize its potential to become a global leader in medical cannabis production. Among those challenges are balancing policy, economic growth and social norms. With lazy, conservative thinking entrenched in post-colonial governments across the continent, Africa is many years away from any hope of being a player in the world medical cannabis arena.
Malawi: Invegrow Kickstarts Exports But Cannabis Reform is Failing the Rural Poor It Was Meant to Help
13 December 2024 at 13:00:00
Where have we heard this before? Well, in South Africa, Lesotho, eSwatini, Rwanda, Uganda, Morocco and just about every other African country that has legalized cannabis for export. Now Malawi joins their ranks in a sad but familiar repeat from the African cannabis playbook, with Invegrow being its only success story to date.
Ghana Launches Chamber of Cannabis Industry to Guide Policy and Set Standards
9 December 2024 at 06:00:00
Earlier this year Ghana’s Chamber of Commerce set up a specialist division to help establish a regulated cannabis industry in the West African country. The CCI’s CEO Mark Darko writes how Ghana is taking the regional lead in creating a commercial medicinal and industrial cannabis industry.
Namibia: Cops Refuse Permission for Cannabis Protest Because ‘Foreign Nationals’ Are Involved.
24 November 2024 at 06:00:00
The Namibian Police won’t allow a planned cannabis protest march to take place on 10 December 2024 because ‘foreign nationals’ have been invited to participate’. A top officer says this will be ‘detrimental to Namibia’s sovereignty and will only let the protest go ahead if no foreigners are involved.
Botswana Breakthrough: New President Embraces Cannabis in First SONA
20 November 2024 at 09:00:00
Botswana will diversify its diamond-dependent economy by launching into the medicinal cannabis market and exploiting its abundant sunshine, President Duma Boko said on Tuesday, 19 November 2024 in his first State of the Nation address (SONA).
SA Court Censures Swaziland News for Calling eSwatini King a “Dangerous Dagga Dealer " Intent on Looting the Nation
18 November 2024 at 09:00:00
Judgement has been reserved in a Mbombela court case in which the eSwatini Prime Minister is tryng to gag the rebel Swaziland News, accusing it of terrorism and defamation. Part of the PM’s objection is that the paper reported without substantiating its sources, that King Mswati III is involved in the Kingdom’s illegal cannabis trade.
Zimbabwe's Ivory Medical Launches Therapeutic Product Range Integrating Cannabis and Traditional African Medicine
11 November 2024 at 06:00:00
Zimbabwe has been struggling to develop its medical cannabis value chain but this looks set to change as Ivory Medical brings an innovative product range to market. Its CannaQure range, launched last week, integrates traditional African medicines into cannabis-based therapeutic products.
African Pharmacists Need to Take Cannabis Seriously – Or Risk Being Trapped in the ‘Knowledge Gap’
7 November 2024 at 04:00:00
Only nine countries in Africa have legalized medical cannabis to some degree, but for the rest of the continent the global medical cannabis revolution is passing it by. Nonetheless, African pharmacists should tackle their own knowledge gap in anticipation of cannabis becoming part of integrated public health systems in the future.
Global Cannabis Market Just Keeps Growing, Africa Nowhere Really to be Seen
31 October 2024 at 07:00:00
International consulting company Global G has just released its Global Cannabis Market: Fall 2024 Outlook which shows the market just keeps growing. The oils market especially has expanded rapidly in a sector that has increased by 14% in value over the past year. Sadly, Africa is nowhere to be found in this positive prognosis.
eSwatini Cannabis Confusion, Cannabis Bill Floats in Parliamentary Backwaters, While Police Intensify War Against Growers
29 October 2024 at 16:00:00
eSwatini’ MP’s hope that the controversial Cannabis Bill will still be retabled before the year is out, but with more ministries being pulled into the legalization issue, don’t expect this to happen.
Lesotho Loses Revenue to Unchecked Cannabis Licensing Corruption
26 October 2024 at 07:00:00
cannabis licencing corruption remains rife in the country and the government is turning a blind eye. That's according to The Lesotho Reporter, the Kingdom’s main newspaper, which alleges there is a single mastermind behind the ongoing licensing fraud whose identity is known to the authorities.
Malawi: Cannabis Bill Delayed by Faith Leaders' Objections
22 October 2024 at 13:00:00
Malawi’s president has not yet enacted into law a Bill passed by Parliament in March this year intended to regulate the cannabis industry. This was because of objections by religious leaders that not enough harms prevention measures had been put in place, even though the Malawi is only permitting cultivation for export.
Uganda Issues Medical Cannabis Export Guidelines
22 October 2024 at 12:00:00
Uganda’s cannabis policy is to legalize cannabis only for export. Kampala is currently not considering domestic consumption of industrial, medical or recreational cannabis, but has recently issued guidelines for prospective exporters.
Namibia Lifts Lid on Legalization Debate; Sends MP’s on Cannabis Fact-Finding mission to Lesotho.
17 October 2024 at 09:00:00
All forms of cannabis consumption are illegal in Namibia but that could soon change as the country’s lawmakers begin discussing the possibilities of partial legalization. Namibian MP’s recently visited Lesotho to find out how that country is dealing with medical cannabis regulation and culivation
Africa is ‘Modernizing’ its Hemp Policies But It’s on a Slow Path to Being a Global Player
7 October 2024 at 09:00:00
The African Hemp Fund reports that industrial cannabis, or hemp, is experiencing “significant economic expansion” in Africa although the overall regulatory market remains constrained. Despite this analysts project that Africa’s industrial hemp industry possesses a market potential of US$2.4 billion – and this excludes CBD, which itself is a massive market.
South African Law Firms Well Poised to Ride the Wave of African Cannabis Legalization
13 September 2024 at 14:00:00
The South African legal sector has significant experience in dealing with cannabis legislation and is well-positioned to benefit from the regulatory reform that is taking place in the rest of the continent.
Morocco: Now the Push is On to Legalize Full-on ‘Recreational’ Use
12 September 2024 at 06:00:00
Morocco’s cannabis policy has centred on medical and industrial exports and bringing small-scale farmers into the mainstream. This has given stakeholders new impetus to urge the Kingdom to go further and open a discussion on full adult-use legalization.
West Africa: Abuse of Killer Synthetic Cannabis Drug ‘Kush’ Now a Regional Crisis
11 September 2024 at 09:00:00
Kush, also known as the ‘Zombie Drug’ or ‘KJ’, is spreading across the Mano River Basin in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, ensnaring young people and straining social services. This is according to a report from the Institute of Security Studies which says a united front by these three governments is needed to prevent this transnational drug crisis from disrupting the region’s fragile stability.
Mozambique: Cannabis the Most Trafficked Drug But Heroin Seizures Are Going Through the Roof
5 September 2024 at 07:00:00
Cannabis seizures were up almost 20% in 2023 but the alarming statistic is in the amount of heroin confiscated. This is a fourfold rise over the previous year highlighting Mozambique’s growing role as a transhipment point in the international narcotics supply chain – and that of neighbouring South Africa.
Moroccan King Mohommed VI Pardons 5 000 Small-Scale Growers and Dealers for Cannabis Offences
2 September 2024 at 09:00:00
Morocco is emerging as Africa’s leading exporter of legal cannabis with an estimated 225 tons shipped out this year,, almost as much as it exported in the whole of 2023. The Kingdom is limiting cultivation to the centuries-old Rif region cannabis growing areas and has a strict anti-recreational use laws. Now it has pardoned 5 000 small-scale cannabis offenders.
‘Knowledge Gap’ Holding Back Zimbabwe’s Hemp Industry
27 August 2024 at 08:00:00
Zimbabwe is failing to live up to its expectations of being a major player in the African industrial cannabis sector. Although 61 various hemp licenses have been issued, exports have been minimal and there’s a long way to go before there’s any serious talk about cannabis reducing Zimbabwe’s dependence on tobacco.
US-Based King Kong Organics Finally Set to Open Rwanda Cannabis Oil Extraction Facility
18 August 2024 at 10:00:00
KKOG’s CEO Rene Joseph says the multi-million dollar cannabis processing facility is 70% complete and will open in September. The company has a five year license from the Rwanda Development Board, which also invested capital in the project. The primary aim is to export cannabis oils internationally and KKOG says it intends expanding its African footprint.
‘African Policymakers Need to Overhaul Existing Cannabis Laws in Favour of More Inclusive Legislation’
13 August 2024 at 09:00:00
African policymakers in country’s allowing cannabis cultivation should re-evaluate existing cannabis laws as they are disproportionately repressive and largely ineffective. A new report says that to be effective, new cannabis laws need to be inclusive by actively seeking the input of cannabis stakeholders.
Morocco’s Illegal Cannabis Farmers Emerge Boldly From the Shadows Under New Regulatory Regime
10 August 2024 at 09:00:00
Morocco's partial legalisation of cannabis has seen the number of legal farmers rocket from 430 to 3 000 in just a year. This has seen the area under cannabis cultivation increase tenfold to 2 700 ha as the country cautiously reform the regulatory landscape.
Mozambique: President Nyusi Calls for ‘Deep Reflection’ on Legalizing Cannabis
7 August 2024 at 11:00:00
Mozambique is lifting the lid on cannabis legalization. Speaking at a drug policy conference in Maputo, the President said he seeks ‘closer co-operation’ with other countries on how to legalize and regulate cannabis. The European Union has stepped up smartly and said it’s ready to help.
Madagascar Now Africa’s Biggest Illegal Cannabis Exporter as Cartels Use the Island for Repackaging and Distribution
25 July 2024 at 10:00:00
Africa produces about 25% of the world’s cannabis. Almost all of it is illegal and much of it is consumed domestically. According to a report on maritime smuggling, Madagascar is now the key illegal exporter of cannabis in Africa with syndicates specialising in repackaging and international distribution.
Interpol Comes Knocking as SA Emerges as a Key Player on the International Narco-Trafficking Scene
24 July 2024 at 15:00:00
South Africa’s role as a key hub in international narco-trafficking is coming to the fore and the country is also a “cornerstone production location for crystal meth, cat, mandrax and MDMA. Now Interpol has dropped in for a look.
Seychelles: 33% of Public Support Cannabis Legalization, 49% Oppose, as Government Struggles With Horror Spike in Heroin Addiction
8 July 2024 at 08:00:00
In a first-ever survey in Seychelles, Afrobarometer explored citizens' views on drugs. Seychellois say they want drug abuse, addiction, and trafficking to be prioritized after the management of the island's economy. The survey showed a strong resistance to legalization with 49% of those polled opposing it, while 30% were in favour.
Nitazenes: Highly Potent Opioids Surface in West African Drug Market for the First Time
1 July 2024 at 11:00:00
Nitazenes can be 100 times more potent than heroin and 10 times the strength of fentanyl meaning that users get their high from small hits but with huge risks of overdosing. Now they’ve found their way into the West African drug market for the first time
Liberia: Killer ‘Kush Cannabis’ Crisis Takes Root in Monrovia
1 July 2024 at 10:00:00
Liberia says it’s facing a national health emergency because of widespread use of ‘kush cannabis’, a dangerous new cocktail that includes opioids, among the nation’s youth. Drug seizures over the past year reveal an alarming array of new synthetic psychoactive substances.
UN Drug Body: 90% of Global Tramadol Seizures in Past Five Years Have Been in Africa
28 June 2024 at 07:00:00
The UNODC reports that Africa is facing an alarming increase in ‘dangerous drug cocktails’, with youngsters most susceptible to this growing trend. This is highlighted by news that almost all global seizures of tramadol – an opioid analgesic used in most of these cocktails – occur the region.
Africa’s Cannabis Consumption is Growing Faster Than Anywhere Else, So is the Use of Dangerous New Drug “Cocktails”
27 June 2024 at 08:00:00
Cannabis use in Africa is growing faster than any other region in the world, according to the latest UN Drug Report. The continent is also increasingly affected by drug trafficking and the use of new and dangerous drug “cocktails”
Khat in Kenya: Borderline Legal But Prohibitionists Kick Back
26 June 2024 at 09:30:00
Khat appeared to have secured legal status in Kenya even though it’s a prohibited substance in most countries. However, there is a kick-back underway with a regional governor banning muguka, a variety of khat, on health grounds following a trade dispute over import levies.
Revealed! Zimbabwe's Central Intelligence Organisation’s Secret Cannabis Farm
10 June 2024 at 10:00:00
International policy Investigative organization, The Sentry, has exposed Zimbabwe's secretive CIO’s vast business network which focuses on diamonds, coal and industrial cannabis. It has urged the Government to dissolve this empire and make the CIO more accountable and be paid for from the National Budget instead of the shady financing that is currently taking place.
The African Cannabis Market Overview: Estimated Legal Market Worth was US$41 million in 2021/2
2 June 2024 at 10:00:00
Prohibition Partners has just released its African Cannabis Market Overview for 2022. Among its key findings are that, driven by South Africa, the continent has seen significant growth but that it lags behind other cannabis-producing nations. It reports that over the next five years the South African market for decriminalized cannabis in South Africa will grow.
Zimbabwe Govt Asks Tobacco Research Body to Look at Viability of Large-Scale Cannabis Production
31 May 2024 at 06:00:00
Zimbabwe’s hopes of capitalizing on cannabis have not yielded the results that Harare hoped for. Africa’s largest tobacco producer is concerned that cigarette consumption is dropping world-wide and has now called on the sector’s research experts to look at how cannabis can become a meaningful alternative export commodity.
Nigeria: NDLEA Clamps Down on Cartels Dealing in Cocaine, Fentanyl and Synthetic Cannabis
29 May 2024 at 10:00:00
West Africa has become a critical international drug smuggling hub, while at home substance abuse is getting out of hand in several countries in the region. This has prompted Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies to step up their ‘War Against Drugs’, leading to the recent break up of two major trafficking cartels.
Zimbabwe: Grassroots of Hope in a Dysfunctional Landscape
24 May 2024 at 10:00:00
Of the 57 cannabis cultivation license-holders, only seven are actually in production. Among them is a farming trio from the Bulawayo area who have overcome the capex and bureaucratic hurdles whose Thathokuhle Farm enterprise seeks to inspire surrounding farmers to grow cannabis.
Lesotho Should Review Its Cannabis Laws: ‘No Place for Small Business’
23 May 2024 at 12:00:00
Lesotho was the first African country to legalize medical cannabis for export purposes. However, recent research says Lesotho’s cannabis laws have proved very challenging, have not been applied objectively and have been at the expense of small, medium and micro-enterprises.
Amnesty International Condemns Nigeria’s Intention to Punish Drug Traffickers with the Death Penalty.
23 May 2024 at 11:00:00
Amnesty International and human rights activists in Nigeria are criticizing a new bid put forward by Nigerian lawmakers to punish drug trafficking with the death penalty. The move has divided the country’s lawmakers in Abuja, many of whom support the measure as part of the “War Against Drugs”.
Nigerian Senate Wants Death Penalty for Drug Traffickers As It Tries To Cope With A Growing Substance Abuse Crisis
11 May 2024 at 06:00:00
Nigeria has in recent years gone from being a transit point for illegal drugs to a full-blown producer, consumer and distributor. Now the authorities are upping the stakes with the country’s Senate proposing the death penalty as part of their arsenal in the West African 'War Against Drugs'.
Middle East Conflict: Moroccan Hash Dealers Boycott Israel Over Gaza
7 May 2024 at 04:00:00
Although exporting Hashish to Israel was incredibly lucrative to dealers in Morocco, they are no longer willing to sell to Israeli dealers: 'Why Should Israelis be able to make a living selling Moroccan hashish when our Palestinian brothers are suffering from hunger?'
UN: Cannabis Resin Bound for Europe is the Most Trafficked Drug in the West African Sahel .
6 May 2024 at 07:00:00
A UN report says Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger are a “natural stopover point” for drug trafficking between South America and Europe, but authorities are beginning to take down the criminal networks involved.
Zimbabwe: It Doesn't Bode Well - Cannabis Reform Is Pitting Small-Scale Farmers Against Agri-Business
3 May 2024 at 09:00:00
Bristol University academic Clemence Rusenga offers a deep dive into Zimbabwe’s cannabis sector. One of his conclusions is that Harare’s cannabis reform is aimed at attracting foreign investment rather than uplifting subsistence farmers and that this is going to create a deepening schism between agri-business and illicit growers.
Sierra Leone: Voodoo Kush Addictions Spiralling; the Nation's Kids Are at Risk
19 April 2024 at 10:00:00
Substance abuse in West Africa is spiralling out of control, with hybrid drugs coming onto the market that are aimed soley at creating addiction. Cannabis is the base for fentynal-laced Voodoo Kush, which is creating a social health crisis. Here we take you to the streets of Freetown for how the new drug is affecting ordinary people.
Malawi Passes Cannabis Bill Allowing ‘Chamba’ to be Grown Despite Stiff Opposition from Justice Minister and House Speaker
17 April 2024 at 10:00:00
DPP walks out of Parliament concerned that legalization will lead to the nation’s moral decay, and then walks back in, despite there was no substance to their protestations that the Bill will lead to moral decay, but could earn the country US$700 million
King Kong Secures Rwanda’s First Medical Cannabis Export License
25 March 2024 at 12:00:00
King Kong Organics (KKOG Rwanda) has become the first local company to secure a 5-year license to cultivate cannabis for medicinal purposes, extraction, and export various medicinal products in the central African country.
Nigerian Arrests Confirm Durban is SA’s Main Drug Export Transit Point
11 March 2024 at 07:00:00
Nigerian authorities believe that an international drug smuggling syndicate based in South Africa is sending cannabis and cocaine to the West African country, including the powerful new strain, ‘Colorado’.
Malawi: No Clue How Much Revenue It's Earning Off Medical Cannabis Exports
1 February 2024 at 07:00:00
The central African country, which has legalized medical cannabis for export ,says it’s conducting its first ever production surveys which will give it data on the cannabis industry and what it’s legal earnings are.
Nigeria’s War on Drugs Exposes Powerful New Cannabis Strains: “Colorado” and “Ghana Loud”
9 January 2024 at 11:00:00
Nigerian law enforcement officials have arrested a man they say was allegedly smuggling high-THC “Colorado” cannabis from the US in boxing kits and distributing the merch through Lagos State.
IDCP: African 'War On Drugs’ Has Failed, Caused Millions of People to Suffer And Policies Need A Major Overhaul, Like Now!
20 December 2023 at 11:00:00
The International Drug Policy Consortium says African governments’ complacency has led to a failed ‘War on Drugs’ and this has had devastating consequences on millions of people and that an urgent shift in policy thinking is required to change the trajectory
Kenya Doesn’t Buy Into Cannabis Legalization; Steps Up ‘War Against Drugs’
28 September 2023 at 09:00:00
Senior Kenyan security official urges the country to resist the global push for the commercialization of cannabis, calls for cross-border ties in combating drug trafficking and a new approach to rehabilitation of ‘substance abusers.’
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