A 46-year-old woman and her 25-year-old son are under investigation after police discovered plants suspected to be cannabis growing in their backyard garden in Matshwane Ward, Maun, on September 11.
Maun Acting Station Commander Assistant Superintendent Moutlwatsi Ikobeng confirmed that the two were recently detained for questioning before being released as investigations continue. Ikobeng said police are still working to establish the circumstances surrounding the cultivation and confirm whether the plants are cannabis.
He said the quantity and nature of the suspected substance would only be established through forensic analysis, with results expected next month. According to Ikobeng, preliminary investigations revealed a large portion of the backyard had been cultivated with multiple plants suspected to be cannabis.
He stressed that the police investigation had not yet reached a stage where the two could be taken before court, saying further action would depend on the forensic evidence. Ikobeng also appealed to members of the public to report people suspected of cultivating or distributing cannabis.
He said police had observed that some suspected cultivation was taking place within residential homes and ploughing fields, making public cooperation important in identifying such activities.
“If the public is aware of any persons that distribute or cultivate the substance, kindly approach the police,” Ikobeng said.
He further warned members of the public against purchasing cannabis from illegal sources, saying the cultivation and sale of the substance outside the applicable legal framework could expose both sellers and buyers to legal and health risks.
The investigation comes amid prior confusion over Botswana’s evolving cannabis laws following Parliament’s passage of the Cannabis Bill in 2025.
Although Parliament passed the Bill, the development did not amount to blanket legalisation of cannabis for recreational use.
The proposed framework provides for the regulated cultivation, production, storage, distribution, import and export of cannabis for medicinal, scientific, research and industrial purposes.
It does not establish a recreational cannabis market or give members of the public a general right to grow or sell cannabis from their homes.
The distinction between the Bill and an operative law has also contributed to public uncertainty. The passage of a Bill by Parliament is part of the law-making process, while its implementation requires the completion of the applicable constitutional and legal procedures.
The publication of Cannabis Regulations in the Government Gazette in January 2026 further fuelled expectations that cannabis cultivation had been broadly legalised.
However, the regulations are intended to provide the framework for a controlled licensing system rather than permit unrestricted cultivation or sale.
As a result, police enforcement against suspected unlawful cultivation and possession continues.
The legal position is particularly relevant to the Maun case, as the plants discovered at the Matshwane property were not presented by police as part of a licensed commercial or research operation.
For now, Ikobeng said the investigation remains ongoing, with forensic analysis expected to determine the nature of the plants and guide any further action.
Until the relevant legal framework is fully operational and a person is operating under the required authorisation, members of the public are being urged not to assume that the passage of the Cannabis Bill permits them to cultivate, possess or sell cannabis.
