Somaliland
Africa
Not ranked: disputed territory
would rank #153 among countries
Cannabis is banned outright and police arrest people for growing it. Somaliland applies the old Somali penal code alongside sharia. Khat, by contrast, is legal and widely chewed.
Disputed territory. Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has its own government, courts and police. Most countries still regard it as part of Somalia. See also 🇸🇴 Somalia.
In short all countries →
- Can I carry it?NoIt is a crime
- Can I grow it?NoIt is a crime
- Can I buy it?NoThere is no legal source
- Can I use it in public?NoUse itself is an offence
- What if I'm caught?PrisonUsers are routinely jailed
A rough guide read from the scores below, not legal advice. The details and the exceptions are in each segment: select an answer to jump to it.
- Cannabis users
- about 110,000
- Share aged 15–64
- about 3.1%
An estimate: there is no national survey, so the median rate of surveyed countries in Africa is assumed.
Source: UNODC World Drug Report prevalence figures, as collected in Wikipedia's list of annual cannabis use by country; population aged 15–64 from the World Bank.
Score breakdown ▏world average
Select a segment to show or hide the exact rules and sources.
Possession · 25%0/10adds 0.0 of 25 points
Possession is a criminal offence. Somaliland still applies the Somali penal code, under which cannabis is prohibited, and prison is a realistic outcome. No specific sentence could be confirmed.
Personal cultivation · 25%0/10adds 0.0 of 25 points
Growing is a crime. In October 2023 police in Hargeisa arrested a man for growing cannabis plants in the yard of a house he owned.
Punishment & enforcement · 20%1/10adds 2.0 of 20 points
Police act on small cases, as the 2023 arrest shows. Sentencing practice could not be confirmed.
Sharing & gifting · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
Any supply is a criminal offence.
Consumption · 10%1/10adds 1.0 of 10 points
Use is illegal.
Legal access · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
No legal source.
More context not part of the score
Drug cases are heard under a mix of the penal code and sharia, so outcomes can vary from court to court.
Taking cannabis into or out of Somaliland is a separate offence from possessing it, normally charged as smuggling or trafficking, with far heavier penalties. That holds almost everywhere, including between two places where cannabis is legal.
A prescription or medical card from another country is generally not recognised. Travellers who need a cannabis-based medicine should ask Somaliland's embassy before travelling.
General guidance that applies to almost every country, not a check of Somaliland's customs rules.
All sources
Last updated: · 2 sources