Cannabis and Drug Use in Zimbabwe: A Growing Public Health Crisis

This scoping review examined 27 studies published between 2012 and February 2025 to map patterns, harms, and responses to substance use in Zimbabwe. Researchers followed a rigorous systematic framework to synthesize evidence from ten major academic databases, revealing that substance use in Zimbabwe spans a wide range of drugs — including alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, inhalants, codeine-cough syrups, and an emerging wave of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin use. Notably, much of the prior understanding of substance use in the country had been based on anecdotal reports rather than empirical data, underscoring a critical gap in public health research.

Cannabis was identified as one of the most commonly used substances in Zimbabwe, alongside alcohol and tobacco, with use concentrated in high-density urban areas and among vulnerable populations such as children living on the streets. The harms associated with substance use were predominantly linked to the HIV epidemic, suggesting that drug use behaviors are deeply intertwined with one of the country's most pressing health crises. Despite the scale of the problem, clinical and health responses were found to be significantly limited, leaving many affected individuals without adequate support or treatment options.

The review concludes that substance use must be treated as a public health priority in Zimbabwe, with an urgent call for research capacity building to address the many gaps in the literature. For cannabis specifically, the findings highlight the need for context-sensitive, evidence-based policy in sub-Saharan Africa, where patterns of use and associated risks may differ markedly from those in Western settings. The study serves as a foundational resource for policymakers, clinicians, and researchers working to develop targeted interventions across the region.