Is Marijuana Legal in Sierra Leone?

Marijuana is illegal in Sierra Leone for recreational use and for medical purposes.

Cannabis plants are nevertheless abundantly grown across the West African country, and several forms of cannabis use are popular across Sierra Leone. The nation’s cannabis laws have yet to be updated, however.

Medical Marijuana Laws in Sierra Leone

Without any form of medical marijuana, patients have no legal access to cannabis.

Many patients either have to take the risk of being charged with possession by law enforcement or must simply avoid cannabis use altogether.

What to Know About About Medical Cannabis in Sierra Leone

While medical cannabis is legally inaccessible in Sierra Leone, that does not mean cannabis is necessarily hard to come by in the country.

You should not put yourself at legal risk, but if you want a deeper understanding of the cannabis laws in Sierra Leone, there is much more information for you to take in and consider.

Synthetic Cannabis Use Is Rampant

Without a legal cannabis industry, black market cannabis products can spread across Sierra Leone without any sort of regulation.

The most notable of these synthetic cannabinoids currently popular in Sierra Leone is locally called Kush. Those from the United States may recognize the cannabis product by some of its other names, “spice” or “K2.”

Readers familiar with Kush by any of its names will understand that, compared to traditional, non-synthetic cannabis, which can have their own risks, some synthetic cannabis products can be incredibly dangerous.

Although we need the opportunity to do more research into cannabis itself, some synthetic or semi-synthetic cannabinoids contain unknown or not yet wholly understood chemicals.

Patients seeking the medical benefits of cannabis might try products like Kush without a proper understanding of the risks involved.

A tightly regulated medical cannabis program could not only help educate patients but could also create a safer flow of cannabis products, cutting out the riskier, more unknown synthetic cannabinoids, at least until scientists have had the opportunity to study their properties and effects further.

There Is Hope for Legalization

No official change in drug policy has been announced or even officially proposed. Still, medical marijuana legalization in Sierra Leone is more than just a pipe dream.

In 2020, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Health and Sanitation noted that policies should change and that there may be a future in which cannabis cultivation and sales are accessible to members of the public.

While this may have been somewhat hypothetical, it is a far cry from previous moves by members of the West African nation’s government, like the harsh 2008 National Drugs Control Act.

It is also possible that medical marijuana becoming legalized and regulated in other African countries like South Africa could continue to push Sierra Leone towards legalization.

Can You Grow Cannabis In Sierra Leone?

No, you cannot grow cannabis in Sierra Leone. While cannabis cultivation is illicitly prevalent across Sierra Leone, you should not take the legal risk of growing cannabis before it is legal.

The Bottom Line

There are, unfortunately, no legal ways for patients or adults to legally access cannabis for medical purposes or personal use in Sierra Leone.

As a result, more dangerous products like Kush have been able to flood the market, leaving the illegal cannabis industry in Sierra Leone in need of the kind of regulation we have begun to see in some other African countries.

While there have not been official changes, there are signs of progress and hope for Sierra Leoneans to be able to receive treatment in the future.