Because of reasons like the plant being illegal almost everywhere on the continent and poor economic conditions afflicting many of its countries, the African cannabis market is often overlooked by the wider industry. Yet, thanks to its large population and its favourable climate, which make cultivation easier than in neighbouring Europe, Africa has the potential to become a major market for medical cannabis in the long run.
A report by the consultancy firm Prohibition Partners found that the African cannabis market could exceed $7.1b by 2023, with most of the profit being generated by recreational cannabis – with some 420,000 patients and profits of about $800m, production for medical purposes represents only a small portion of the market.
The UN estimates that annual production in Africa stands at 38,000 tonnes, in what is a highly lucrative black market. In Morocco alone, the underground industry is valued at $10b and is thought to employ 800,000 people, according to the Moroccan Network for the Industrial and Medical Use of Cannabis, as cited by Prohibition Partners.
Of Africa's 54 countries, only three – i.e. Lesotho, South Africa and Zimbabwe – allow the use of medical cannabis. Meanwhile, a bill on the subject is awaiting approval in Zambia, while in Malawi the legalisation of therapeutic cannabis is being considered as a way to counter losses from the tobacco industry, the country's main source of revenue before it went into decline due to anti-smoking campaigns.
No African country, however, has yet adopted clear legislation allowing recreational cannabis. In South Africa, for instance, recreational use is not permitted, but home cultivation and private use have been decriminalised. Something similar to what happens in Egypt, where recreational use is illicit but largely tolerated. In Morocco, too, there is a tendency to look the other way even if both medical and recreational cannabis remain illegal, while in countries like Ghana and Nigeria, cannabis is grown illegally yet massively, with most of the produce being exported to neighbouring countries.
Still, winds of change are coming and they blow from the south: In Lesotho, a small landlocked, mountainous country that enjoys exceptional climatic, soil and water conditions, cannabis growing has been legal for a couple of years now.
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