Cannabis is part of South Africa’s Cultural Heritage
On South African Heritage Day 2025, Fields of Green for ALL is proud to announce that, through our international affiliations with FAAAT.net and the Cannabis Embassy, we are participating in the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) conference in Barcelona next week.
Although it will be a lengthy process that is only just beginning, the goal is to have Cannabis declared an “Intangible Cultural Heritage” with UNESCO, joining our existing heritage sites and institutions. Fields of Green for ALL has applied for consultative status with UNESCO and the outcome of that application should be announced during 2026.
This article first appeared in the Business of Cannabis (23 September 2025).
For the first time in its history, UNESCO’s flagship cultural policy conference will give cannabis a prominent platform, marking the centenary of its international prohibition and reflecting its growing cultural acceptance.
UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development, Mondiacult, is the world’s largest cultural conference, welcoming delegations from all 194 member states, aimed at setting the cultural agenda across the globe for the coming years.
From September 29 to October 01, during the 25th edition of the event, two contributions from civil-society organisations FAAAT (Forum Drugs Mediterranean) and the Cannabis Embassy, will make the case to position cannabis at the heart of global cultural policy discussions as the UN prepares its post-2030 development framework.
FAAAT and the Cannabis Embassy have submitted two official contributions: a technical paper, Cannabis: A Plant Without Borders. Cultural Diagnosis, One Hundred Years After Its Prohibition, and a consultation report on the role of cannabis-linked communities in preserving intangible cultural heritage, with insights drawn from events in Barcelona and Santiago de Chile.
This inaugural inclusion of cannabis comes on the centenary of cannabis being simultaneously recognised in the international pharmacopoeia and listed as a ‘narcotic’ under treaty law. The initiatives at Mondiacult seek to reframe this legacy by integrating cannabis-linked practices into broader heritage and sustainability agendas. “Mondiacult is the largest international gathering dedicated to culture, bringing together thousands of participants who will shape the global agenda for years to come,” said Sébastien Béguerie, president of FAAAT.
Kenzi Riboulet-Zemouli, an expert on international drug policy, added that the 2025 edition represents a ‘decisive moment’ to enshrine cannabis-related cultures within the United Nations’ next development strategy.
The move reflects a broader trend from prohibition towards cultural recognition. FAAAT, which has been active in drug policy reform for over two decades, played a key role in the UN’s 2020 rescheduling of cannabis. The Cannabis Embassy, formed in 2024 to unify international advocacy, continues this work by appointing ‘cannabis ambassadors’ and participating in global forums.
Mondiacult gathers thousands of policymakers and cultural practitioners every four years. With the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda nearing its end, the 2025 conference provides a rare opportunity to re-evaluate the place of traditional and contemporary cannabis cultures in global policy-making.
Well done, and all the best. #freetheplant