Ghana looks to develop its therapeutic cannabis sector
Ghana's government on Thursday set out details of the regulatory framework for developing its domestic medicinal cannabis industry, which is still in its infancy despite the legalisation of medical cannabis six years ago.
Since 2020, Ghanaian law has allowed the culture of cannabis with a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of less than 0.3 percent for therapeutic use, making it the first -- and so far the only -- west African country to permit it.
The recreational use of cannabis is still banned.
Ghana currently lacks domestic supplies of low-THC cannabis seeds used for medical production, forcing it to import all seeds under licence.
Creating a local production sector would allow it to establish a value chain and a potentially lucrative industry.
Ghana's Interior Minister, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, on Thursday announced the rules that aspiring therapeutic cannabis producers will have to follow.
"We won't give the licence if you don't show us who you are going to sell it to," he told reporters in Accra. "You need to have an off-taker."
Operators will have to obtain several specific permits for every activity along the value chain, with distinct licences for cultivation, processing, transport, import and export.
"If we do it right, the benefits will come," said Mohammed-Mubarak. "Our emphasis is more on security and public safety than the money."
Security agents will deploy monitoring tools, including GPS tracking, drone surveillance and unannounced inspections of licensed facilities to prevent leaks to the black market, he added.
Licensed sites will have to be located at least 100 metres (110 yards) from schools and residential areas, while operators will have to present quarterly reports.
Several African countries, including Lesotho, South Africa and Zimbabwe, have taken steps to legalise the production of medicinal cannabis in recent years, to boost export revenues in a growing global market.
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