Ghana launches medicinal cannabis programme under strict regulation

The Minister for the Interior, Mr Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has officially launched Ghana’s Medicinal Cannabis Research Programme, marking the government’s commitment to responsible drug control, public health, and economic development.

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Thursday, the Minister emphasised that the initiative follows the passage of the Narcotics Control Commission Amendment Act, 2023 (Act 1100) and the Narcotics Control Commission Cultivation and Management of Cannabis Regulation, 2023 (L.I. 2475).

He clarified that the programme is strictly limited to cannabis with negligible psychoactive content not exceeding 0.3% THC for industrial and medicinal purposes.

Mr Mohammed-Mubarak stressed that recreational use of cannabis remains illegal under Section 45 of Act 1019. “Ghana is not legalising weed. We are creating a world-class Ghanaian-controlled industrial health and therapeutic cannabis centre,” he stated.

Under the new framework, the Minister disclosed that 11 categories of licenses are available, covering cultivation, processing, breeding, laboratory testing, storage, transportation, import, export, and advertising. Licenses are site-specific, activity-specific, valid for three years, and non-transferable.

“Applicants must be Ghanaian citizens or companies with at least 50% Ghanaian ownership and majority Ghanaian directors,” he said.

To ensure transparency, Mr Mohammed-Mubarak noted that applications will be processed through a dedicated online portal, eliminating human interface. Licensed facilities will be subject to unannounced inspections, quarterly reporting, and strict safeguards, including restrictions on location near schools or residential areas.

The Minister indicated the programme’s potential to reduce illegal cultivation, attract investment, create thousands of jobs, and generate revenue.

He emphasised the programme’s potential to reduce illegal cultivation by offering farmers a legal and profitable alternative. He encouraged smallholder farmers to form cooperatives to benefit from the scheme.

According to him, the initiative is expected to attract local and foreign investment, create thousands of jobs, particularly for youth in rural areas and generate revenue for the state.

Citing international examples, he noted that Canada’s legal cannabis market generated over 800 million Canadian dollars between 2020 and 2023, surpassing revenue from wine and tobacco combined. Ghana aims to responsibly tap into similar opportunities while safeguarding public health and national security.

The Minister urged the media to communicate the correct message: “This is about job creation, medicine, and revenue, not about recreational use of drugs.”