Is Cannabis / THC legal in DR Congo?

Legal status

Cannabis (chanvre) is prohibited under the Ordonnance of 1903 (approved by the Décret of 10 March 1917) — cultivation, sale, transport, possession and consumption are prohibited; trafficking carries 5 to 20 years' servitude pénale principale; no legal recreational or medical regime; the maximum penalty is imprisonment

Consequences if caught

Cannabis (chanvre) is prohibited in the DR Congo under the Ordonnance of 1903 on chanvre (approved by the Décret of 10 March 1917), with no legal recreational regime. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, drugs fall under the Ordonnance of 1903 on chanvre (approved by the Décret of 10 March 1917), which prohibits the cultivation, sale, transport, possession and consumption of drugs. Trafficking offences carry 5 to 20 years' servitude pénale principale under Congolese penal doctrine; the precise trafficking article is left to confirmation against the current statute (the 1903/1917 ordinance is old and not granular). The maximum penalty for a drug offence is imprisonment. The Democratic Republic of the Congo retains the death penalty for the gravest non-drug crimes, but its drug legislation does not provide a death penalty — the maximum penalty for a drug offence is imprisonment (servitude pénale).

If prescribed or medical

Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.

Documentation

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, drugs fall under the Ordonnance of 1903 on chanvre (approved by the Décret of 10 March 1917), which prohibits the cultivation, sale, transport, possession and consumption of drugs. Trafficking offences carry 5 to 20 years' servitude pénale principale under Congolese penal doctrine; the precise trafficking article is left to confirmation against the current statute (the 1903/1917 ordinance is old and not granular). The maximum penalty for a drug offence is imprisonment. The Democratic Republic of the Congo retains the death penalty for the gravest non-drug crimes, but its drug legislation does not provide a death penalty — the maximum penalty for a drug offence is imprisonment (servitude pénale). Cannabis (chanvre) is the drug specifically prohibited by the same Ordonnance, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with DR Congo’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.