Cannabis in Eswatini

Traditional crop known as "insangu"

Cannabis in Eswatini (Swaziland) is a traditional crop called insangu in Swazi.[1] The plant is subject to drug control and remains illegal in almost all cases.

The local traditional plant variety (Cannabis strain) is known as "Swazi gold"; it is often bioprospected[2] and commands a high price due to its reputation for potency,[1] making it a genetic resource at risk of biopiracy.[3]

## History and Culture

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### History

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"Swaziland; two young men seated, one of them smoking hemp" (Wellcome Collections)

Arrived centuries ago, Cannabis has a long history in eSwatini, with early archaeological evidence dating back around 1200 CE after Arab merchants brought the plant from Asia.[2]

#### Culture

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Besides being illicit, Cannabis remains widely grown in the country, and used for a variety of purposes. In 2006, a report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime recognized eSwatini as one of the major producers in Southern Africa.[citation needed]

#### Illicit trade

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Reportedly, Nigerian criminal syndicates are involved in the trade, with the best-quality cannabis being sent to Europe via South Africa and Mozambique.[4][5]

## Legislation

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This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (August 2024)

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### Reform

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In 2017, a group of Members of Parliament announced that legalizing cannabis in eSwatini could add US$1.63 billion to the economy, potentially tripling the Gross Domestic Product.[6]

## References

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1. ^ a b IRIN | Growing marijuana to make ends meet in Swaziland
2. ^ a b Duvall, Chris S. (2019). The African Roots of Marijuana. Duke University Press. pp. 26, 219. ISBN 978-1-4780-0453-0.
3. ^ Duvall, Chris S. (2016-01-02). "Drug laws, bioprospecting and the agricultural heritage of Cannabis in Africa". Space and Polity. 20 (1): 10–25\. doi:10.1080/13562576.2016.1138674. ISSN 1356-2576.
4. ^ Africa: As Marijuana Growing Expands, Swaziland Begins to Ponder Hemp | StoptheDrugWar.org
5. ^ A potential high for Swaziland economy. IOL.co.za; 25 August 2013
6. ^ Dagga to Pump In E23Bn if Legalised. Swazi Observer, 2017-10-20

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Cannabis by country

By country|

| Africa|

* Algeria
* Angola
* Benin
* Botswana
* Burkina Faso
* Burundi
* Cameroon
* Cape Verde
* Central African Republic
* Chad
* Comoros
* Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Republic of the Congo
* Djibouti
* Egypt
* Equatorial Guinea
* Eritrea
* Eswatini (Swaziland)
* Ethiopia
* Gabon
* Gambia
* Ghana
* Ivory Coast
* Kenya
* Lesotho
* Liberia
* Malawi
* Mali
* Mauritania
* Mauritius
* Madagascar
* Morocco
* Mozambique
* Namibia
* Nigeria
* Rwanda
* São Tomé and Principe
* Senegal
* Seychelles
* Sierra Leone
* Somalia
* South Africa
* Sudan
* Tanzania
* Togo
* Tunisia
* Uganda
* Zambia
* Zimbabwe

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Antarctica|

* Antarctica

Asia|

* Afghanistan
* Bahrain
* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* Brunei
* Cambodia
* China
* Hong Kong
* Macau
* India
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Iraq
* Israel
* Japan
* Jordan
* Kazakhstan
* North Korea
* South Korea
* Kuwait
* Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Lebanon
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Mongolia
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* Oman
* Pakistan
* Philippines
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* Singapore
* Sri Lanka
* Syria
* Taiwan
* Tajikistan
* Thailand
* Timor-Leste
* Turkey
* Turkmenistan
* United Arab Emirates
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam
* Yemen

Europe|

* Albania
* Andorra
* Austria
* Armenia
* Azerbaijan
* Belarus
* Belgium
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Greenland
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Guadeloupe
* French Guiana
* Martinique
* New Caledonia
* Réunion
* Georgia
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Ireland
* Italy
* History
* Kosovo
* Latvia
* Liechtenstein
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Moldova
* Monaco
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* North Macedonia
* Norway
* Svalbard
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* San Marino
* Serbia
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Turkey
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom
* Bermuda
* Cayman Islands
* Gibraltar
* Montserrat

North America|

* Antigua and Barbuda
* Bahamas
* Barbados
* Belize
* Costa Rica
* Cuba
* Dominica
* Dominican Republic
* El Salvador
* Grenada
* Guatemala
* Haiti
* Honduras
* Jamaica
* Mexico
* Panama
* Saint Kitts and Nevis
* Saint Lucia
* Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
* Trinidad and Tobago

| Canada|

* Legal history
* Legality by jurisdiction

|

United States|

* Legal history
* Timeline
* Medical
* Non-medical
* Legality by jurisdiction

Oceania|

* Australia
* Fiji
* Kiribati
* Marshall Islands
* Micronesia
* New Zealand
* Cook Islands
* Palau
* Papua New Guinea
* Samoa
* Solomon Islands
* Tonga
* Tuvalu
* Vanuatu

South America|

* Argentina
* Bolivia
* Brazil
* Chile
* Colombia
* Ecuador
* Guyana
* Paraguay
* Peru
* Suriname
* Uruguay
* Venezuela

See also|

* Legality of cannabis
* Annual cannabis use by country
* Adult lifetime cannabis use by country
* Cannabis political parties
* Timeline of cannabis law

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