Cannabis is a drug that circulates afloat in the West African sub-region. In Côte d’Ivoire, more than 20 tonnes of canned ready-to-use packaging were seized and destroyed in 2018 and more than 30 tonnes in 2019. Illegal and prohibited for both medical and domestic use, cannabis today offers certain therapeutic and commercial opportunities. While discussions are being carried out around the world to relax legislation in favor of this plant, French-speaking African countries remain silent. What is certain, the debate on the decriminalization of cannabis has been launched and no country should remain on the sidelines at the risk of losing this other strategic opportunity. How long do you have to resist? Not for long, but certainly too late.

Keywords: Cannabis, Decriminalization, Legalization, Opportunity, Illicit.