Cannabis is an important crop in Africa, though it is prohibited in most of the countries. Each country in the continent plants a different variety.

It is thought to have been introduced to Africa by Indian Hindu travellers, which Bantu settlers subsequently introduced to Southern Africa when they migrated southward.

In some parts of Africa, the indigenous African groupings have had their own legend about cannabis. African farmers have produced enough to meet demand on the continent and to export small quantities to Europe (this is according to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2018).

Cannabis is not significantly imported into the continent, but international trading is common within Africa due to variations in supply, demand, law enforcement, and other farming opportunities. The crop provides income in rural communities, and to those who distribute and sell it in cities.

In the program this week Advocate Gareth Prince, a Rastafarian and community leader from South Africa and Dr Lawrent Pungulani, a scientist from the Department of Agricultural Research Services in Malawi, weigh in on the potential Cannabis has in the developmental narratives of Africa.

Dr Prince is a Rastafarian lawyer who has successfully fought a legal fight against the criminalisation of cannabis in South Africa.

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