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100 Years of Cannabis Prohibition: Time for abolition, not just legalization
February 19 marks the centennial of the Second Opium Convention in 1925, the treaty that cemented global cannabis prohibition. A century later, legalization efforts are gaining momentum, yet true abolition remains remote.
Prohibition was never about public safety – it was a tool of colonial and economic control. The 1925 treaty targeted Africa, criminalizing traditional use while allowing cultivation for pharmaceutical interests. Today, legalization efforts continue to operate within these outdated frameworks.
Despite widespread calls for reform, global institutions remain conflicted. The UN Human Rights Office shows signs of support; the International Narcotics Control Board upholds prohibitionist policies, creating a paradox where cannabis is both stigmatized and selectively legitimized.
Yet, change is underway. Uruguay led the charge in 2013, followed by Canada and a wave of legalizations across the Americas and Europe. South Africa has emerged as a leader on the African continent. The U.S., once the global enforcer of the War on Drugs, now faces internal contradictions in its stance on prohibition. Prohibition has failed, presenting Africa with the opportunity to reject a system that was never designed for her benefit.
The Interior Minister’s declared intention to implement Ghana’s cannabis reforms without delay is commendable. Yet the saturating legalized cannabis market is dominated by the very nations that once enforced prohibition. Legalization, as currently structured, risks turning cannabis into yet another exploited commodity where profits flow to investors rather than the people who have cultivated it for generations.
Africa now faces a choice: follow the corporate-controlled legalization model or take bold steps toward full abolition. With deep historical roots and some of the world’s highest cannabis use rates, cannabis in Africa is not a passing trend but a cultural constant. Through legislative reform, referendums, or executive action, Africa has the chance to break free from a century of imposed prohibition. The time for abolition is now. Will we take is now. Will we take that final step?
Signed
Khex Pongo
Chairman Advocacy Committee
+233 24 686 6519, +233 24 4039347
