The Narcotics Control Commission Bill, 2023 has been approved by Parliament.
This means that the Ministry of Interior is required to grant licenses for the cultivation of cannabis in order to make it possible to use this plant for a variety of advantageous purposes.
The Supreme Court blocked the law’s passage by declaring section 43 of it illegal, which led to the current outcome.
According to Section 43 of Act 1019, the Minister may, upon the Commission’s recommendation, grant a license for the industrial cultivation of cannabis, commonly known as “wee” in Ghana, with a THC content of no more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis for the purpose of producing fiber or seed for medical use.
The purpose of the bill, according to a report from the Committee on Defence and Interior, is to amend the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019). To give the Minister the authority to issue a license for the industrial, for the production of fiber or seed, or for therapeutic purposes, cultivation of cannabis with a THC level of no more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.
In reacting to this new development, Former Minister for Communications and a member of the National Democratic Congress party(NDC), Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah has in a post on his Facebook page caution that the Ghanaian populace needs to be educated on the meaning of the cannabis “wee” law.
Dr. Omane Boamah believes that majority of Ghanaians have taken the news of the approval of the Narcotics Control Commission Bill, 2023 to serious and not really understand its implications.
He further added that not every species of “wee” produces a good amount of the active ingredients the industry needs.
He therefore called for an intense publication education to help Ghanaians understand the law.
Here is what he has to say…….
Intense publication education is needed to help Ghanaians understand the meaning of the cannabis “wee” law. For example, not every species of “wee” produces a good amount of the active ingredient industry needs.
