Is Hemp Legal in Eswatini?
May 29, 2026
Industrial hemp is illegal in Eswatini. The 1922 Opium Act makes no hemp distinction; cultivation remains prohibited.
Industrial hemp is illegal in Eswatini. The 1922 Opium Act makes no hemp distinction; cultivation remains prohibited.
Industrial hemp is illegal in Eswatini. The Opium and Habit-Forming Drugs Act 1922 and the Pharmacy Act 1929 cover all cannabis varieties without distinguishing low-THC industrial hemp from psychoactive strains. The Ministry of Agriculture has not licensed hemp cultivation; sugar, citrus, and forestry remain the dominant agricultural exports.
No commercial hemp cultivation, fibre processing, or hempseed-food production is permitted. Imports of hemp seed, fibre, hempcrete, or hempseed food products are treated as controlled-cannabis imports absent a specific exemption, which has not been issued. A draft Cannabis Bill discussed in recent years would have created a medicinal and industrial regime but has not been enacted into law.
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 Agriculture; Eswatini Revenue Service Customs
No legal hemp threshold; all cannabis cultivation prohibited
Opium and Habit-Forming Drugs Act 1922; Pharmacy Act 1929
Hemp imports and exports are prohibited. Customs treats all Cannabis sativa material as controlled under the 1922 Act, with no industrial-hemp exemption.
