Ghana's Parliament has officially legalized the cultivation and management of cannabis for industrial and commercial purposes.
The decision, made on December 14, 2023, by the the country's Parliament approves the Narcotics Control Commision Regulations 2023 and grants the Interior Minister the authority to issue licenses, ushering in a transformative era in Ghana's cannabis regulations.
Licensing cover the entire spectrum of cannabis-related activities, including cultivation, processing, distribution, sale, import, and export.
These licenses adhere to stringent THC content standards, limiting levels to 0.3% on a dry weight basis.
According to experts, if the cannabis industry is properly managed and regulated along the value chain, Ghana's economic problems could be remedied, as cannabis has the capacity to thrive in any part of the country.
The key sector expected to benefit significantly is employment as the country embarks on this transformative journey, experts said, noting that Ghana is at the forefront of cannabis industry development in Africa.
For his part, Interior Minister Ambrose Dery stated that the measure should not be misinterpreted as the legalization of recreational marijuana.
For his part, the leader of the minority bench, Kwame Governs Agbodza, warned of the potential abuse of the law and its implications for existing mental health problems in Ghana. "None of you are talking about the potential for abuse, and how that can degenerate into mental health problems that we already have in this country," Agbodza said questioning Why are you pretending that this is going to solve our problem?