Zambia
Africa
#176 of 196 worldwide
#53 of 54 in Africa
Cultivation for export and medical purposes was approved in 2019–2021; possession remains a serious offence.
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
Recreational possession remains a crime under the narcotics law. The 2021 Cannabis Act did not change that: it covers only licensed medicinal, scientific and research activity.
Personal cultivation · 25%0/10adds 0.0 of 25 points
Growing cannabis without a licence is an offence under the Cannabis Act.
Punishment & enforcement · 20%1/10adds 2.0 of 20 points
Criminal penalties apply to users and unlicensed growers; no source consulted gives reliable detail on sentencing practice.
Sharing & gifting · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
Unlicensed distribution is an offence.
Consumption · 10%1/10adds 1.0 of 10 points
Recreational use remains illegal.
Legal access · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
More context not part of the score
Two laws of 20 May 2021 created a licensing system: the medicines regulator licenses cultivation, manufacture, storage, distribution, import and export of cannabis for medicinal, scientific or research purposes, and a separate Act covers hemp at up to 0.3% THC. They followed a 2019 cabinet decision to pursue cannabis exports.
Licensed medicinal products and industrial hemp.
Provided for under licence; practical patient access is minimal.
A conviction is a criminal record.
All sources
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