Cannabis Freedom Index

Changelog 28f50f3

Record that Zambia's Cannabis Act is still uncommenced and that the Industrial Hemp Act took effect on 3 January 2025. Fixes #65.

2 history entries added1 history entry edited1 country profile edited2 files of code, design or docs +186 −54 lines

History changes.yaml

Added 2

Edited 1

Zambia enacts its Cannabis Act and Industrial Hemp Act

description

Two acts createdParliament published both Acts on 20 May 2021. Each comes into operation only on a licensing systemdate the Minister appoints. The Cannabis Act would let the medicines regulator licenses growinglicense cultivation, manufacturingmanufacture, storingstorage, distributingdistribution, importingimport and exporting cannabisexport for medicinal, scientific or research purposes, and a separate act covers. The hemp with up toAct covers plants of not more than 0.3% THC. Neither Act was in force on the day it was published.

sources

Cannabis Act, 2021 (ZambiaLII) Industrial Hemp Act, 2021 (ZambiaLII) Library of Congress — Zambia: Cannabis Act and Industrial Hemp Act enacted (2021)

unscored

Neither Act was in force, so the scores do not move.

related

zambia-industrial-hemp-commencement-2025, zambia-controlled-substances-act-2026

Countries and states 1 file

Zambia countries/zm.yaml

summary

Cultivation for export and medical purposes was approved in 2019–The Cannabis Act of 2021; possession would license medicinal growing, but it has not come into force. Industrial hemp has been under licence since 3 January 2025. Possession without lawful authority remains a serious offence.

segments › possession › text

RecreationalThe Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, in force since 20 May 2021, makes possession remainsof a crime underdrug without lawful authority an offence of up to fifteen years. For cannabis, that Act provides an admission-of-guilt fine of up to 1,200 penalty units. Since 16 January 2026 the narcoticsControlled Substances Act also makes possession of a listed controlled substance, without authorisation under that Act or another written law, an offence of up to fifteen years, and it lists cannabis and cannabis resin. The 2021 Cannabis Act did not change that: it covers only licensed medicinal, scientific and researchwhich would license medicinal activity, has not come into force.

segments › possession › sources

locndps, csa

segments › cultivation › text

Growing cannabis without a licenceplant that can be used as a drug, without lawful authority, is an offence under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act: a fine of up to one million penalty units, up to ten years, or both. The Cannabis Act would require a licence to grow cannabis for medicine or research, but that Act has not come into force.

segments › cultivation › sources

actndps, locact

segments › enforcement › text

Criminal penalties apply to usersPossession and unlicensed growers; nounauthorised cultivation are criminal offences. No source consulted gives reliable detail on sentencing practicehow often courts jail users.

segments › enforcement › sources

locndps

segments › sharing › text

UnlicensedTrading in a drug without lawful authority can bring up to twenty-five years under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Producing, importing, selling or distributing a drug for cultivation or manufacture, without lawful authority, can bring one to fifteen years. The Cannabis Act's distribution licence is an offencenot in force.

segments › sharing › sources

actndps

segments › consumption › text

Recreational use remains illegalUsing a drug without lawful authority is an offence under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act: a fine of up to 200,000 penalty units, or up to two years.

segments › consumption › sources

locndps

segments › access › text

None for theThere is no public retail. The Cannabis Act's medicinal licences are not in force. Industrial hemp may be grown, processed and sold under a licence.

segments › access › sources

locact, hemp

context › production › text

Two laws ofThe Cannabis Act was published on 20 May 2021 created. It comes into operation only on a licensing system:date the Minister appoints, and ZambiaLII records that it has not come into force. It would let the medicines regulator licenseslicense cultivation, manufacture, production, storage, distribution, import and export of cannabis for medicinal, scientific or research purposes. The Industrial Hemp Act, published the same day, has been in force since 3 January 2025. It licenses growing, processing, distribution, buying, export and a separate Act coversresearch on hemp at up toof not more than 0.3% THC. They followed a 2019 cabinet decision to pursue cannabis exports.

context › production › sources

locact, hemp, hemporder

context › products › text

Licensed medicinal products and industrialIndustrial hemp is licensed under the Act in force since 3 January 2025. Cannabis and cannabis resin are listed as narcotic drugs under the Controlled Substances Act, in force since 16 January 2026, which licenses manufacture, import, export and dealing in controlled substances. The Cannabis Act's own medicinal-production licences are not in force.

context › products › sources

act, hemp, csa, act

context › medical › text

ProvidedThe Cannabis Act's licensing system for under licence; practical patient access is minimalmedicinal cannabis has not come into force. The Controlled Substances Act, in force since 16 January 2026, licences controlled substances used as medicine and lists cannabis. No commenced Cannabis Act programme for patients was read.

context › medical › sources

locact, csa

context › consequences › text

A conviction under the narcotics law is a criminal recordconviction.

context › consequences › sources

locndps

context › planting › text

The Industrial Hemp Act 2021has been in force since 3 January 2025. It defines industrial hemp to include viable seed with no more than 0.3% THC, and requires a licence toperson must not grow, process, distribute or, buy, export or research it without a licence. It has separate sections on importingImport and exportingexport of hemp seed, on must follow this Act and the seed and plant-pest laws. The Minister may prescribe the varieties that may be grown and on seed production and multiplication. The Act comes into force only on a date the minister appoints.

context › planting › sources

ihahemp, hemporder

context › clubs › text

No cannabis clubs are known. Growing a plant for use as a drug, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another persontrading in a drug, are both prohibitedoffences without lawful authority.

context › clubs › sources

act, locndps

context › visitors › text

There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Recreational possession remainsPossession of cannabis without lawful authority is a crime under the narcotics law; the. The Cannabis Act of 2021 covers only licensed's medicinal, scientific and research activity licences are not in force.

context › visitors › sources

locndps, act

sources

Government Gazette No. 7697 — Industrial Hemp Act (Commencement) Order, 2024 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 2021 (ZambiaLII) Controlled Substances Act, 2023 (ZambiaLII) Industrial Hemp Act, 2021 (Act No. 34 of 2021) (FAOLEX, PDF) Library of Congress — Zambia: Cannabis Act and Industrial Hemp Act enacted (2021) 5 unchanged

Code, design and documents 2 files

docs/research/profile-legal-zm-2026-10-23.md +21 −0
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# Zambia profile, 23 October 2026
+
+Issue #65. Texts opened before the profile was rewritten.
+
+## Read
+
+- ZambiaLII, Cannabis Act 2021 (Act 33): banner “This Act has not yet come into force”; section 1 comes into operation on a date the Minister appoints by statutory instrument. Published 20 May 2021, assented 19 May 2021. https://zambialii.org/akn/zm/act/2021/33/eng@2021-05-20
+- ZambiaLII, Industrial Hemp Act 2021 (Act 34): commenced 3 January 2025 by the Industrial Hemp Act (Commencement) Order, 2024. Section 1 is the appointment clause. Section 2 defines industrial hemp, including viable seed, at not more than 0.3% delta-9-THC. Section 4 prohibits growing, processing, distributing, buying, exporting or research without a licence. https://zambialii.org/akn/zm/act/2021/34/eng@2021-05-20
+- Government Gazette No. 7697, Friday 3 January 2025, supplement: the Industrial Hemp Act (Commencement) Order, 2024, says the Act comes into operation on the date of publication of the Order. The instrument number was not readable in the text extract (the digit printed as a bar). https://archive.gazettes.africa/archive/zm/2025/zm-government-gazette-dated-2025-01-03-no-7697.pdf
+- ZambiaLII, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 2021 (Act 35): commenced 20 May 2021. Section 17 trade, up to twenty-five years. Section 18 possession, up to fifteen years, with an admission-of-guilt fine of up to 1,200 penalty units where the drug is cannabis. Section 19 cultivation, up to one million penalty units or ten years or both. Section 21 supply for cultivation or manufacture, one to fifteen years. Section 22 consumption, up to 200,000 penalty units or two years. https://zambialii.org/akn/zm/act/2021/35/eng@2021-05-20
+- ZambiaLII, Controlled Substances Act 2023 (Act 2): commenced 16 January 2026 by the Controlled Substances Act (Commencement) Order, 2026. Section 6 licences manufacture, import, export and dealing. Section 40 possession without authorisation, up to fifteen years. Section 52 repeals the Dangerous Drugs Act 1967 and keeps existing licences. Cannabis and cannabis resin appear in the narcotic-drug lists. The schedule headings themselves were not in the extract, so the profile does not name a schedule number. https://zambialii.org/akn/zm/act/2023/2/eng@2023-04-18
+
+## Not opened
+
+- Parliament PDF of Act 33, and the zambialaws.com consolidation.
+- The Controlled Substances commencement order itself. The 16 January 2026 date is the date ZambiaLII records.
+- Whether any cannabis medicine is in fact authorised for a patient. The profile does not say that none can exist.
+- A sentencing-practice study. Enforcement stays at 1.
+- Penalty-unit values in kwacha.
+
+Scores were left where they were. Medical stays limited: the Cannabis Act programme is not operating, and the Controlled Substances Act is a commenced licensing law that lists cannabis. Access stays 0.
scripts/history-scope.test.cjs +27 −0
@@ -614,2 +614,29 @@ test("Ethiopia, Uruguay gifts, Trinidad's uncommenced Act and Brazil's joint-use
   assert.equal(br.scores.sharing, 1);
 });
+
+test("Zambia's Cannabis Act stays uncommenced and the hemp Act starts on 3 January 2025", () => {
+  const zm = y.load(fs.readFileSync("countries/zm.yaml", "utf8"));
+  const enacted = byId["zambia-cannabis-act-2021"];
+  const hemp = byId["zambia-industrial-hemp-commencement-2025"];
+  const controlled = byId["zambia-controlled-substances-act-2026"];
+  assert.equal(zm.medical, "limited");
+  assert.equal(zm.scores.access, 0);
+  assert.equal(zm.scores.possession, 0);
+  assert.match(zm.summary, /has not come into force/);
+  assert.match(zm.summary, /3 January 2025/);
+  assert.match(zm.context.production.text, /has not come into force/);
+  assert.match(zm.context.planting.text, /in force since 3 January 2025/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(zm.context.planting.text, /only on a date the minister appoints/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(zm.segments.cultivation.text, /offence under the Cannabis Act/);
+  assert.match(zm.segments.cultivation.text, /ten years/);
+  assert.match(zm.segments.possession.text, /1,200 penalty units/);
+  assert.equal(enacted.date, "2021-05-20");
+  assert.equal(enacted.before, undefined);
+  assert.match(enacted.unscored, /scores do not move/);
+  assert.equal(hemp.date, "2025-01-03");
+  assert.equal(hemp.category, "hemp");
+  assert.equal(hemp.before, undefined);
+  assert.equal(controlled.date, "2026-01-16");
+  assert.equal(controlled.category, "other");
+  assert.equal(controlled.before, undefined);
+});
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