The Republic of Rwanda has quite a few interesting features. It is located just a few degrees south of the equator. Bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is a highly elevated piece of sovereign real estate, picturesquely located where the Great African Lakes and East Africa meet.
It has also joined other African nations, particularly in the south, in beginning cannabis reform that will lead shortly to production. Like Lesotho, the geography is also mountainous, however maintains the distinction of being the most densely populated African country. The population is both young and rural with the average age of Rwandans at the shockingly low number of 19 years.
Work in Progress
The beginning of reform happened last summer when the country announced its plans to commence cultivation in June, when a framework for the legal industry (from cultivation, processing, distribution, and use) was released.
According to local news reports, the Rwanda Development Board has also now designated 134 hectares for cannabis production. The RDB also announced that it has received a great deal of interest in exporting the product and processed versions thereof.
Per a statement released by the agency, “RDB has been working with other government stakeholders to assess proposals received. The government of Rwanda set a rigorous process to select companies that have or are partnering with companies that have previous experience in the production of cannabis for medical and therapeutic reasons. The assessment process has different stages. So far 5 companies are in the advanced stage.”
No license has been issued yet.
Tragically, the country is also following a trend that has been seen in other countries (like Greece, the UK, and Spain). Namely