The government of Ghana has firmly reaffirmed its commitment to responsible drug control, public health, safety, and economic development through the enactment of the Laboratories Control Act (Act 1100) and MLI 2475.
These laws establish a comprehensive framework for regulating, cultivating, and managing cannabis for industrial and medicinal purposes.
Interior minister, Mohammed Muntaka Muabarak, addressing the media in Accra stated that, Ghana is leveraging the economic potential of medicinal and industrial cannabis while prioritizing public health and national security through strict regulations, LI 2475, which grants 11 license categories, including cultivation, processing, breeding, laboratory testing, storage, transportation, importation, and exportation, ensuring robust oversight.
According to him this framework adheres to international best practices and aligns with national laws. Meanwhile, recreational cannabis use remains strictly prohibited under Section 45 of Act 1019, which underscores that unauthorized manufacture, supply, or personal use of narcotics is an offense.
Countries such as Canada, the United States, and Germany have established legal frameworks for medicinal and industrial cannabis cultivation, with Canada’s legal cannabis market surpassing 800 million Canadian dollars between 2020 and 2023.
Minister Muntaka added that the government is seizing this opportunity, with strict safeguards in place to protect public health and national security. He cautions that all media outlets wishing to advertise medicinal cannabis must obtain a license under the established regime.
As the Minister emphasized, this new framework is strategically designed to drastically reduce illegal cultivation of high-THC cannabis in the country.