Abstract

This paper explores the political economy of cannabis legalisation in East Africa, a region with favourable agroecological conditions and significant untapped poten tial in the global cannabis market. While global attitudes shift toward regulation and legalisation, East Africa’s cannabis industry remains poorly understood, constrained by outdated laws, stigma, and fragmented enforcement. The study critically analy ses the historical and legal evolution of cannabis regulation, the sociocultural role of cannabis among indigenous communities, and the region’s response to interna tional reform trends. Drawing on secondary data including crime statistics, policy documents, and media reports the paper interrogates how political and economic interests shape national drug policies and influence the emerging legalisation dis course. It highlights how prohibition policies have sustained informal economies, hindered revenue generation, and exacerbated rural underdevelopment. Conversely, the transition to a legal, regulated cannabis economy could offer substantial pub lic goods through job creation, healthcare integration, industrial diversification, and increased fiscal revenues. By positioning cannabis reform within broader structural challenges such as state capacity, trade policy, and external influence the paper argues that legalisation is not merely a health or moral issue, but a strategic eco nomic imperative. Ultimately, the study calls for evidence-based, locally grounded legal frameworks to guide East Africa’s cannabis future