Cannabis Policy Workshop in Harare, Zimbabwe

The Cannabis Africana: Drugs and Development in Africa research project, based at the Universities of Bristol and Cape Town, examined the impact of changing policies on the rights and livelihoods of people in the cannabis trade. It empirically explored the relationship between cannabis, cannabis policy and livelihoods in Zimbabwe, Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria, as … Read more

Khat in Kenya: why efforts to ban this popular stimulant are unlikely to work

In a recent opinion piece published in ‘The Conversation’ Neil Carrier analyses the recent policy developments in Kenya where ‘muguka’, a variety of khat, was banned in Mombasa County in May 2024 by its governor Abdulswamad Nassir using his executive powers.  The article highlights the ramifications of such a ban on Kenyan politics and the … Read more

Drug Policy Dialogues: Combining Evidence and Praxis to Impact Cannabis Policy Discourses in Africa

Introduction The year 2023 has been an eventful one for the Cannabis Africana: Drugs and Development in Africa project. The project is jointly run by the Universities of Bristol (in the UK) and Cape Town (in South Africa). It is an interdisciplinary study of cannabis in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on its impact on livelihoods as … Read more

Cannabis Africana Cape Town Methods Workshop

Introduction The Cannabis Africana project hosted a Methods Workshop at the University of Cape Town in South Africa from 21-22 November 2022. The first day was divided into morning and afternoon sessions. Day 1 Sessions The morning session focused on the project itself, its journey thus far, and some of the emerging findings from the … Read more

Reassessing drug markets and policies across African countries

INTRODUCTION The subject of drugs and drug markets in Africa is highly debated and contested as a field of research. The organisers of the 24hr Conference on Organised Crime hosted a panel titled ‘Africa and drugs: Rewriting the tale? Presenting the forthcoming JIED Special issue on drugs markets and policies in Africa.’ The conference dates … Read more

Bristol Poverty Institute Showcase 2022 – Poster Presentation

Introduction On 30 June 2022 the Cannabis Africana project teamed with the Hidden Narratives project to do a poster presentation at the Bristol Poverty Institute. Our presentation focused on illicit livelihoods in Africa. Specifically, we explored how drug policies reproduces poverty in the African context. For more details on the content check our abstract below. … Read more

Cannabis Africana Project Launch Recordings

The Cannabis Africana: Drugs and Development in Africa project was officially launched on 7 June 2022, at 3PM UK Time. A lot of people had expressed interest to attend the launch, and many did manage to join the online event. As project members, we are grateful for the support we received from colleagues. You can … Read more

Project Launch

CANNABIS AFRICANA: DRUGS AND DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA Tuesday 7 June 2022            3PM UK Time Email: clemence.rusenga@bristol.ac.uk or gernot.klantschnig@bristol.ac.uk The Universities of Bristol and Cape Town invite you to the official launch of the Cannabis Africana: Drugs and Development in Africa project. The project focuses on cannabis in sub-Saharan Africa and its impact on socio-economic development, … Read more

Cannabis, agrarian change and crisis: contested livelihoods in southern Africa

The Cannabis Africana project team recently participated at an international conference on drugs and disorder. The three day virtual conference was hosted by SOAS, University of London, from the 14th to the 16th of February 2022. Our paper drew from ongoing research on cannabis and its impact on socioeconomic development in Africa. The paper highlighted … Read more

ASAA 2022 Panel: Africa and Cannabis – Historical Narratives and Contemporary Debates

Cannabis has and continues to play an important role in a number of African societies, not only as an intoxicant but medicine, as a cultural marker, political topic and economic tool. This panel seeks to explore the multiplicity of understandings of cannabis and the role it has played in shaping the development of African societies. … Read more