Parliament for Ghana don approve legislation wey go regulate di production of cannabis for industrial purposes.
Di kontri parliament don pass di narcotics control commission bill 2023 in July, wey now dey legalize di cultivation of cannabis wit not more dan 0.3% percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content for industrial and medicinal purposes.
For di latest approval by parliament on 14 December, di interior minister get di authority to issue licenses and grant permit for di cultivation of di hemp.
Dis regulation also di processing, sale, distribution of di industrial hemp.
Im also dey cover “import and export of cultivars, grains, seeds and biomass of cannabis wit not more dan 0.3 percent THC”.
Interior minister Ambrose Dery tok afta di approval say “even as we dey grant permits for di industrial production of cannabis, we go ensure say pipo no take advantage of dis law to abuse recreational hemp.”
Di minister explain say, “di process to get license go be transparent wia dem go ensure only pipo wit di capacity to participate for di value chain go get am.”
Afta parliament don pass di law, plenti pipo don tok say dem go venture into cannabis cultivation.
One of dem be actor and politician, John Dumelo.
Di celebrity wey don dey into farming of ginger, yam and oda vegetables tok say im go add cannabis to im crops.
“Dis law dey excite me. Ibi defining moment for Ghana.”
John Dumelo add say “as a farmer, I don dey look forward say I go add cultivation of cannabis to my portfolio for medicinal purposes.”
Some pipo also tink say di floodgates open say everybody go fit use di hemp.
Di law dey allow recreational cannabis ?
Di narcotics control bill 2023 tok say “di license wey di interior minister go grant to pipo no dey allow for di cultivation of cannabis for recreational use.”
Pesin go ask wetin be di recreational use of cannabis?
Im be say di type of cannabis wey get THC more dan 0.3 percent wia dey make pesin high sake of di psychoactive element.
Im also dey produce one feeling wey dey make pesin feel happy and super excited.
Sabi pipo don tok say di recreational hemp (marijuana) be harmful wey dey fit damage pesin im health over time.
Before 2020, pesin wey dey possess hemp dey chop 10 years for jail.
But di new amended narcotics law don remove di prison term wey dem replace am wit fines.
Pesin wey dem find say im dey possess or im dey use recreational hemp go pay fine of 200-500 penalty units. (GHc 2,400 – Ghc 6,000).
Wetin dem fit take industrial cannabis do
Di industrial cannabis get plenty benefits.
From di manufacture of medicines, cosmetic products, textiles and ropes, di hemp don dey very useful.
Every part of di plant get benefit.
Dey fit use di stalk produce biofuel, auto parts, paper, upholstery and fiber.
Oda sabi pipo say di stem dey fit produce building materials wia di seeds dey produce oil for lotion and oda skin care items.
Wetin be di economic benefits for Ghana
Researchers don predict say di market size of industrial hemp go hit $28.47 billion for 2032.
Na so di United Nations conference on trade and development (UNCTAD) also tok say di global market for industrial hemp go reach $18.6 billion by 2027.
Di UNCTAD report don hammer di point say “di growing hemp market dey offer significant economic opportunities wia all kontris for take advantage of.”
For 2019 before tok tok about legalization of industrial cannabis, one group, hemp association of Ghana (HAG) don sign agreement wey go bring $56m to di knotri in five years from cultivation and export.
Di group tok say afta parliament don pass di law, dem go “work wit ghana-owned cannabis operator for Portugal for dis deal.”
“Ghana get favourable weather wey go make we grow di hemp within 16 weeks. We go fit grow am four times within one year.”
One pesin wey don dey advocate for dis law since, be former member of parliament, Ras Mubarak.
Ras tok say wit di new regime, di kontri “fit get billions from tax and export of di commodity and oda by-products.”
Im also explain say dis go create plenty jobs across di value chain, from farmers to processors and distributors.
“Dis be new dawn for Ghana wey we for take advantage of di opportunities like oda kontris like Canada and di US,” di former lawmaker tok.
Di industrial hemp get big market wey e get di potential to reach $28b in di next decade, according to sabi pipo.
Dis be chance give Ghana say im go tap into am den access di global market and get foreign exchange.
Industrial hemp also get high demand for market.
Na so if di demand exceed supply, di market forces dey raise di prices of commodities to satisfy di growing demand.
Dis don create high profit margins for di commodity across di world, one area Ghana go fit enter.
African kontris wey legalize cultivation of cannabis for industrial use
Lesotho be one of di first kontris for di region wey don legalize cannabis for medicinal purposes in 2017.
Foreign investors since, don dey pump millions of dollars for facilities wey dey do production of di hemp.
Di industry also dey employ plenti young pipo.
For 2021 Morocco adopt di law wey authorize di therapeutic use of cannabis.
Dis mean say dem go fit take do medicine, cosmetic products and oda tins.
But say pipo go use am for recreational purposes, e still be illegal for dia.
In 2018, South Africa highest court legalize di private use of cannabis by adults.
Di constitutional court rule say pipo go fit grow marijuana for private consumption.
But on 29 October 2021, di kontri minister of agriculture Thoko Didiza announce say dem open application process for hemp permits.
Dis na afta dem don declare am as agricultural crop wey dia goment dey allow say make pipo import, cultivate, sell and research hemp for di kontri.
In 2020, Rwanda also allow for di production and processing of medicinal hemp.
Di kontri tok say di production and use go dey limited to only licensed dealers like pharmacies and oda industries.
Afta Zimbabwe don legalize di cultivation of industrial hemp in 2019, dem start dey do pilot project wit commercial farms.
Di interest for di hemp industry for di kontri now dey high.
Na so dem wan tap into di economic benefits and increase research for di sector wit focus on improved hemp varieties and oda value-added products.
For Zambia, dia cabinet don decide say dem go permit production and export of cannabis for medicinal and export purpose in 2019.
Two years later, di kontri now enact two laws wey dey permit pesin “to engage in licensed activity of cultivation, manufacture, production, distribution and export of cannabis for medicinal, scientific or research purposes”.
Dis move na to boost foreign exchange sources.
Uganda in 2020 issue guidelines wey dey provide say investors present evidence of value addition to cannabis.
Dem also for get minimum capital of $5m wit bank guarantee of $1m.
Di law say di health minister for issue written consent for medical marijuana, before pesin go fit cultivate, manufacture and distribute am.
For Malawi, dia parliament legalize cultivation and industrial use of hemp in February 2020.
