The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has warned that the sale, possession and use of cannabis for recreational purposes remain criminal offences in Ghana, despite the introduction of a legal framework for medicinal and industrial cannabis.

Speaking at the official launch of the Medicinal Cannabis Regulatory Programme on Thursday, February 26, the Minister stressed that the new laws do not legalise the recreational use of cannabis, popularly known as “weed”.

According to him, the passage of the Narcotic Control Commission Act, 2023 (Act 1100) and the Narcotic Control Commission (Cultivation, Management of Cannabis) Regulations, 2023 (L.I. 2475) provides “a clear legal and regulatory framework for the controlled cultivation and management of cannabis for industrial and medicinal purposes, in line with international best practice and our national laws”.

However, the Minister was quick to draw a clear line between regulated medicinal cannabis and recreational use.

“Let me begin by stating the obvious. The recreational use of cannabis remains illegal under Section 45 of Act 1019,” he stated.

He cautioned the public not to confuse the medicinal cannabis programme with the use of “weed”, stating that “dealing with weed is still illegal”.

Mr Mohammed-Mubarak added that the sale, purchase, possession and use of cannabis without authorisation remain criminal offences in the country.

He explained that the new regulatory regime is meant to create “a tightly controlled, transparent and Ghanaian-owned framework” for cultivating and using cannabis varieties that have negligible psychoactive effects, strictly for approved industrial and medicinal purposes.

The Interior Minister assured that enforcement agencies will continue to uphold the law, while regulators ensure that the medicinal cannabis programme operates within the limits set by Ghana’s laws.