Sub-Saharan Africa

Publications16 January 2025

Contesting cannabis legalization in Nigeria: Hidden narratives of illicit farmers and traders

Nelson and Klantschnignd shine a light on farmers' relationship with legally regulated markets, including critical responses to models that neglect their inclusion.

Events

13th International Conference on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users (INSHU 2025)

Cape Town, South Africa

14 October 2025 - 17 October 2025

The deadline for abstract applications is 2 March 2025.

News1 October 2024

Mauritius: Support. Don't Punish Conference report 2024

Collectif Urgence Toxida (CUT) report the outcomes of the Support. Don't Punish 2024 Conference in Mauritius, which unpacked harm reduction strategies, called for urgent drug policy reform in the nation and highlighted decriminalisation best practices.

Events

CRISA 2024 15th Biennial International Conference

Abuja, Nigeria

9 October 2024 - 10 October 2024

CRISA's Biennial International Conference on Drugs, Alcohol and Society in Africa focuses on the theme "Improving access to treatment for substance use disorders: Emerging strategies and persisting challenges", in Abuja.

Publications17 September 2024

Cannabis policy reform in West Africa needs to be inclusive

Klantschnig et al. examine the intersection of cannabis and sociocultural livelihoods across West Africa, recommending rights and public health based policy reform.

Publications17 September 2024

Cannabis policy in Kenya: A call for an informed and inclusive national debate

Carrier et al. emphasise the religious, social and cultural importance of cannabis to Kenyan livelihoods and encourage further evaluation of cannabis policy to inform future action.lihoods, encouraging further evaluation of cannabis policy national debate.

Publications17 September 2024

South African cannabis policy: Policy reform must balance public health, economic interests, and social justice

Howell et al. highlight the need for South Africa’s evolving cannabis policy to strike a delicate balance between public health, economic interests, and social justice amidst rural cultivation and thriving illicit markets.

Publications15 September 2024

Drug market risk environment and navigational strategies of street-level dealers in Nigeria

Nelson et al. investigate the many tactics street dealers use to mitigate risks of police harassment, arrest, and violence, and call on the government to focus on systemic rather than law enforcement solutions.

Publications16 August 2024

The social-structural contexts of cannabis consumption and harm reduction among young Nigerian women

Nelson & Nnam analyse how Nigeria's socio-legal environment surrounding drug use impacts young women's cannabis use patterns, calling for structural-level interventions to foster safer use.

News13 August 2024

South Africa: Mpondoland cannabis growers left out to dry

Without governmental support, Mpondoland’s traditional cultivators face stiff competition to participate in the nascent legal cannabis market in South Africa.

Publications12 August 2024

FTIR spectrometer testing of the substance sold as ‘Kush’ in retail drug markets, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau

GI-TOC sheds light on the contents of 'kush' samples (which include synthetic cannabinoids and nitazenes), potential supply routes and health responses.

News5 August 2024

Death penalty bill: DHRAN pushes for reform in Nigeria’s drug laws at National dialogue

Discussions focused on proposals to impose the death penalty on people involved in drug supply, harm reduction strategies, and the need for drug policy reform.

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