Is Weed Legal in Cameroon?
May 29, 2026
Marijuana is illegal in Cameroon under the 1997 Narcotics Law, with five to ten years' imprisonment. No medicinal exception exists.
Marijuana is illegal in Cameroon under the 1997 Narcotics Law, with five to ten years' imprisonment. No medicinal exception exists.
Recreational marijuana is illegal in Cameroon. Law No. 97/019 of 7 August 1997 on the control of narcotics, psychotropic substances and precursors classifies cannabis as a Table I narcotic and criminalises cultivation, production, transport, possession, sale, and consumption. Penalties range from five to ten years' imprisonment and fines of XAF 500,000 to XAF 5,000,000, with aggravated terms up to twenty years for trafficking.
Local cannabis (known as banga in Anglophone regions and kaya in Francophone regions) is widely cultivated in the Northwest and Southwest, yet enforcement remains active. The Police Judiciaire and the gendarmerie's Anti-Drug Brigade conduct seizures in Douala, Yaounde, and along the Nigerian border. Tourists carrying cannabis through Douala International Airport (DLA) or Yaounde Nsimalen (NSI) face prosecution; consular intervention does not waive the offence.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Verify current law with qualified counsel before making compliance decisions.
Illegal
Ministry of Public Health (Comite National de Lutte contre la Drogue); Police Judiciaire; Gendarmerie Nationale
Prohibited for recreational use
Law No. 97/019 of 7 August 1997 on the control of narcotics, psychotropic substances and precursors
Import and export of recreational cannabis are prohibited. The Direction Generale des Douanes and the Anti-Drug Brigade jointly interdict shipments at Douala port and at land borders with Nigeria, Chad, the Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. No domestic medicinal or industrial regime is in force.
