Is Weed Legal in Rwanda?
May 29, 2026
Marijuana is illegal in Rwanda under Law 68/2018, with custodial penalties. Medicinal cultivation for export is permitted via a 2021 Ministerial Order.
Marijuana is illegal in Rwanda under Law 68/2018, with custodial penalties. Medicinal cultivation for export is permitted via a 2021 Ministerial Order.
Recreational marijuana is illegal in Rwanda. Law N degrees 68/2018 of 30/08/2018 determining offences and penalties in general criminalises the production, transport, storage, sale and consumption of cannabis, with penalties scaling sharply with quantity. Possession of even small amounts can trigger imprisonment of two to five years and a fine of up to FRW 5 million.
Enforcement is rigorous. The Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) and Rwanda National Police treat cannabis (urumogi) as a hard-drug offence in practice, and courts in Kigali, Musanze, and Huye regularly hand down custodial sentences. The 2021 Ministerial Order on cannabis for medicinal purposes opened a tightly controlled cultivation-for-export pathway but did not legalise domestic recreational use. Tourists are not exempt; possession at Kigali International Airport (KGL) leads to prosecution.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Verify current law with qualified counsel before making compliance decisions.
Illegal
Rwanda Investigation Bureau; Rwanda National Police; Ministry of Justice
Prohibited for recreational use
Law N degrees 68/2018 of 30/08/2018 determining offences and penalties in general
Import and export of recreational cannabis are prohibited. The Rwanda Revenue Authority Customs Services and RIB coordinate interdiction at Kigali International Airport and at land borders with Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the DRC. Only licensees under the 2021 Ministerial Order on medicinal cannabis may export — and only to authorised foreign markets, never for domestic distribution.
