Is Marijuana Legal in Niger?

Marijuana is illegal in Niger for recreational and medical purposes. Possession, use, and sale of marijuana are all criminal offenses in this Western African nation. Some people in Niger smoke weed. However, those caught violating the country’s drug laws can face significant legal penalties, including imprisonment and fines.

Medical Marijuana Laws in Niger and Throughout Africa

Cannabis is illegal for medical and recreational purposes throughout most of Africa, including Niger. Also, African nations typically punish offenders more harshly than places like the United States and Europe.

A few exceptions include the following African countries:

• Morocco: This North African country recently legalized marijuana for medical, cosmetics, and industrial purposes. Recreational use remains prohibited.
• Rwanda: Rwanda permits the production and processing of medical marijuana by licensed dealers like pharmacies.
• South Africa: South Africa recently passed Cannabis for Private Purpose Bill, allowing personal use, possession, and cultivation in private spaces.
• Uganda: This country has strict laws to curb the use of cannabis but allows licensed companies or individuals to grow the plant for export to places like Europe and Canada.
• Lesotho, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have legalized medical and scientific cannabis growth for export and commercial use.

What to Know About About Medical Cannabis in Niger

Nigeriens cannot access medical cannabis for any reason. To consume cannabis, Nigeriens could consider traveling to African nations with more liberal policies or risk legal penalties by purchasing weed on the black market.

Those Who Use Cannabis Face Severe Penalties

Niger’s drug enforcement agency, Central Office for the Repression of Illicit Drug Trafficking (OCRTIS), seems most focused on apprehending and punishing people who intend to sell or traffic cannabis. However, anyone who peddles or uses marijuana for any reason can face serious consequences, including heavy fines and lengthy jail sentences.

The risk of arrest may be highest during election season, according to The Niger Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), which stated, “Since the general elections are around the corner, we will go after suspected illicit drug abusers, peddlers and barons in Niger…We want to sound a note of warning… to desist from the unwholesome practices.”

There Are Roadblocks to Legalization

The NDLEA’s statement hints at Niger’s significant security challenges, preventing meaningful political organization and action on social issues like cannabis legalization.

One of the poorest countries in the world, Niger is constantly at risk of a spillover of violence and drug smuggling from neighboring countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, and Nigeria.

Niger also grapples with internal challenges that hinder the government’s ability to keep its people safe from violent extremists within its borders. Although Niger has bolstered its military capabilities, civilian security and justice apparatus have not kept pace.

Niger is also a conservative Muslim nation with low literacy rates and limited media development and access. Jihadist threats and corrupt political repression further quell freedom of speech and potential dissent across a range of topics. TV access is severely restricted, and only about 13% of the population has internet access.

In short, the cannabis legalization debate is far from the country’s list of top priorities in the foreseeable future.

Can You Grow Cannabis In Niger?

Cannabis cultivation is illegal in Niger for personal use, medical purposes, industrial use, or export.

Still, according to a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report, this Western African nation has a small but growing black market that emerged around 2004. Since then, Niger’s seizures have grown exponentially as smugglers take advantage of the nation’s unpatrolled Sahara desert. In 2004, the government seized 42 grams of cannabis resin or hashish and 903 kgs of cannabis herb from traffickers. In 2022, seizures ballooned to 5,656.6 kgs of cannabis sativa.

Niger’s authorities have increased efforts to stop drugs from passing through the country, exacerbating local divisions and fueling insecurity along the borders with northern Mali. But traffickers are using more sophisticated techniques to get the job done.

The Bottom Line

Medical marijuana and all cannabis forms, including hashish, are illegal in Niger.

Resources indicate that the nation’s drug enforcement agency primarily apprehends black market producers and smugglers. However, Nigerian citizens and non-Nigerian visitors could face imprisonment or steep fines if caught possessing the illicit plant. The country’s military conflicts, internal battles, and extreme conservative viewpoints make changes to its cannabis laws, especially marijuana legalization, unlikely for years to come.