Bahamas

Is Hemp Legal in Bahamas?

Status

Illegal

Covers

Hemp (General)

Jurisdiction

Independent Country

Last updated

May 28, 2026

The short answer

Industrial hemp has no separate legal framework in The Bahamas. The Cannabis Act, 2024 expressly does not apply to hemp, and the country has not enacted a parallel hemp statute. Hemp therefore remains where the 1962 amendment to the Dangerous Drugs Act left it: inside the controlled-substance schedule alongside cannabis, with no commercial cultivation, processing, or general-retail product pathway.

That gap matters for anyone planning fiber, grain, seed-oil, or hemp-derived consumer goods. There is no 0.3% THC industrial-use exemption, no licensing window at the Ministry of Agriculture, and no certified seed program. Importers of hemp foods, hemp seeds, hemp-fiber textiles, and hemp protein products operate without legal clarity and face the same Dangerous Drugs Act exposure as cannabis importers. The 2024 reform compendium did flag hemp as a future consideration, but no commencement order or supplemental bill has been published to bring hemp into a regulated category as of 2026.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Verify current law with qualified counsel before making compliance decisions.

Key facts ·

Bahamas

Key facts

Rules at a glance

All countries

THC limit

No statutory industrial hemp THC threshold

Regulator

Royal Bahamas Police Force and Bahamas Customs Department under the Dangerous Drugs Act; no dedicated hemp regulator

Key regulation

Dangerous Drugs Act, Chapter 228 (as amended 1962); Cannabis Act, 2024 (explicitly excludes hemp)

Effective

January 1, 1962

Adult-use cannabis

Pending

Medical cannabis

Pending

For brands and importers

Import and export rules

Hemp imports are treated as cannabis imports under the Dangerous Drugs Act. Customs intercepts hemp seed, fiber, hempcrete inputs, and hemp food products at the border, and there is no commercial export pathway because cultivation is not permitted. Operators cannot use the Cannabis Authority's licensing platform for hemp activities, since the Cannabis Act, 2024 expressly removes hemp from its scope.

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