Is Weed Legal in Democratic Republic of the Congo?
May 29, 2026
Marijuana is illegal in the DRC under the 1971 narcotics ordonnance-loi and the Penal Code. Trafficking attracts up to 20 years' imprisonment.
Marijuana is illegal in the DRC under the 1971 narcotics ordonnance-loi and the Penal Code. Trafficking attracts up to 20 years' imprisonment.
Recreational marijuana is illegal in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ordonnance-loi N degrees 71-079 du 26 mars 1971 sur les stupefiants et la Loi N degrees 73-009 portant Code penal (as amended) criminalise cultivation, possession, transport, sale, and use of cannabis (bangi or chanvre). Trafficking attracts custodial sentences of up to twenty years and forfeiture; consumption can lead to shorter sentences and rehabilitation orders.
Enforcement is led by the Police Nationale Congolaise (PNC) Office central de lutte contre la drogue and the Agence Nationale de Renseignements. Cultivation is widespread in the eastern provinces (North and South Kivu, Maniema, Tshopo) but is not legally tolerated. There is no medical cannabis programme. The Direction de la Pharmacie et du Medicament (DPM) has not authorised cannabinoid medicines.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Verify current law with qualified counsel before making compliance decisions.
Illegal
Police Nationale Congolaise (PNC); Ministere de la Justice
Prohibited
Ordonnance-loi N degrees 71-079 du 26 mars 1971 sur les stupefiants; Code Penal
Import and export of cannabis are prohibited. The Direction Generale des Douanes et Accises (DGDA) screens at N'djili International Airport (FIH), Lubumbashi (FBM), Goma (GOM), and at the country's land borders with nine neighbours. Lake Tanganyika and Lake Kivu crossings are monitored by lake police.
