Cannabis legalisation in Central Africa: where do things stand?

Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad and São Tomé and Príncipe all apply legislation that classifies cannabis among narcotics, with criminal penalties for possession as well as production. This regional uniformity contrasts with the diversity seen elsewhere on the continent, where several countries have opened a medical or industrial route in recent years.

These pieces of legislation rest on the United Nations conventions of 1961, 1971 and 1988, which almost all Central African states have ratified without reservation. National reform therefore presupposes, at the very least, a shift in the doctrine applied to those texts, or a renegotiation of the commitments made. No known bill is currently under consideration in the region to open a medical or industrial market, unlike in Morocco or Zimbabwe.

The contrast with other regions of Africa is stark. Morocco legalised the cultivation of cannabis for medical, cosmetic and industrial purposes in 2021 with law 13-21, while maintaining the ban on recreational use. In Southern Africa, South Africa decriminalised private adult use in 2018 following a decision of its Constitutional Court, and Lesotho was the first African country to issue cultivation licences for medical purposes, as early as 2017. Zimbabwe followed the same logic with a medical and scientific framework. Such developments remain absent in Central Africa, where the criminal framework has not moved since independence.

In several countries of the region, notably the Democratic Republic of the Congo, traditional and informal cannabis cultivation has long existed in certain rural areas, outside any legal framework. This reality on the ground changes nothing about the criminal status of the product: it simply illustrates the gap, common in many countries, between the written law and observed practice.

The situation in Central Africa has no direct bearing on the framework applicable in France, where CBD is authorised provided the finished product contains at most 0.30 % THC. It does, however, serve as a reminder of a simple rule for any traveller: carrying a CBD product, even one perfectly legal in France, into a country where cannabis is classified as a narcotic exposes you to local prosecution, whatever its THC content. Our article on CBD regulation in France in 2026 sets out the framework applicable on national territory.

Is CBD legal in Central Africa?

No. The eight countries of the region classify cannabis, including its derivatives, among narcotics. No exception exists for CBD with a low THC content.

Why has this region not followed the reforms seen elsewhere in Africa?

The developments observed in Morocco, Zimbabwe or South Africa result from political or judicial decisions specific to each country. No comparable momentum has emerged in Central Africa to date.

Can a CBD product bought in France be taken to a Central African country?

It is not advisable. Legality in France offers no protection abroad: it is better to check with the embassy of the destination country before any trip.

Is a reform under way in the region?

No significant legislative project concerning medical or industrial cannabis is documented to date in the countries of Central Africa.