The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has announced that licences for cannabis cultivation in Ghana will be reserved exclusively for Ghanaian citizens or permanent residents aged 18 and above.
He further stated that corporate entities seeking licences must maintain at least 50 per cent Ghanaian ownership and ensure that a majority of their directors are Ghanaian.
The announcement was made during a press briefing in Accra to officially launch Ghana’s Cannabis Regulatory Programme, which establishes a controlled framework for the cultivation and management of low-THC cannabis strictly for medicinal and industrial purposes.
The programme follows the passage of the Narcotics Control Commission (Amendment) Act, 2023 (Act 1100) and the Narcotics Control Commission (Cultivation and Management of Cannabis) Regulations, 2023 (L.I. 2475), which provide the legal basis for regulated cannabis activities in the country.
According to the Minister, the initiative is limited to cannabis varieties containing no more than 0.3 per cent THC on a dry weight basis. He explained that this low-psychoactive hemp is similar to what is legally cultivated in countries such as Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany for use in fibre production, textiles, seeds, food products and therapeutic applications.
Highlighting the economic potential of the sector, the Minister cited Canada’s legal cannabis industry, which reportedly generated over 894.6 million Canadian dollars in the 2022–2023 financial year, outperforming combined revenues from beer, wine and tobacco. He noted that Ghana aims to realise comparable benefits through strict regulation that prioritises public health and national security.
Muntaka outlined anticipated outcomes of the programme, including a reduction in illegal high-THC cultivation as farmers transition to legal alternatives, increased local and foreign investment, job creation, particularly for rural youth and significant state revenue from licensing fees and exports.
He urged the media to clearly communicate that the initiative does not legalise recreational cannabis use but is focused on building a regulated, Ghanaian-led industrial hemp and therapeutic cannabis sector capable of competing globally while safeguarding health and security.