Cannabis legalisation in East Africa: a 2026 overview

By a government decision in 2021, Rwanda authorised the cultivation of cannabis for medical purposes intended exclusively for export, without opening a domestic consumer market. Uganda has followed a similar logic for several years: cultivation licences for medical export have been granted to operators, notably towards Europe and North America, while recreational use remains wholly illegal on Ugandan soil. These two countries illustrate a regional strategy: developing an agricultural export sector without changing the law applicable to citizens.

Kenya still classes cannabis among narcotics under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, despite regular parliamentary reform proposals that have come to nothing to date. Tanzania applies strict enforcement, particularly pronounced in Zanzibar. Ethiopia likewise maintains a total ban, with no sign of reform on the horizon.

The region's other countries have adopted no notable reform and apply prohibitionist frameworks inherited from the UN international conventions of 1961, 1971 and 1988. The institutional instability of some of these countries also limits any prospect of reform in the short term.

None of these developments has any effect on the framework applicable in France, where CBD remains authorised as long as the finished product contains at most 0.30 % THC, in accordance with the Conseil d'État decision of 29 December 2022. The export sectors of Rwanda and Uganda concern industrial operators and regulated markets, not private individuals: no product intended for individual consumption can legally pass through these channels to France without authorisation.

Can cannabis be bought legally in East Africa?

Not by a private individual. The legal sectors in Rwanda and Uganda concern medical export governed by industrial licences, not sales to local or foreign consumers.

Will Kenya legalise cannabis soon?

No reform has been adopted to date, despite several parliamentary proposals. Cannabis remains classified as a narcotic in Kenya.

Does this region have any link with the CBD sold in France?

No. The French framework for CBD, with a THC threshold of 0.30 % in the finished product, is independent of East African legislation, which concerns separate agricultural sectors.

Does Rwanda permit local consumption of cannabis?

No. The medical cultivation authorised since 2021 is reserved for export. Recreational use remains prohibited for Rwandan residents.