Ghana has officially launched a licensing framework for the cultivation, processing, and management of industrial and medicinal cannabis, opening opportunities for individuals and companies to participate in the emerging sector.
The program, announced on February 26 by Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, Ghana’s Interior Minister, allows applicants to secure permits covering cultivation, processing, research, laboratory testing, storage, transportation, and import/export of cannabis.
Authorities have set strict limits: licensed cannabis must contain no more than 0.3% THC. Officials say the initiative is intended to support production of industrial fibers, seeds, and pharmaceutical products while ensuring regulatory oversight and compliance with international standards.
However, the licensing scheme has already faced legal challenges. Mariam Alhassan, a farmer from Techiman, has filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Court of Ghana, claiming the framework is unconstitutional. Alhassan argues that the system’s “irrational design, exclusionary economic effect, and disproportionate exercise of administrative discretion” effectively blocks smallholder farmers from participating.
She also contends that authorities acted unfairly by imposing substantially higher fees without a tiered licensing structure. Reported fees for licenses range from $5,000 to $42,000, depending on the type and scale of the operation.
The Supreme Court challenge adds uncertainty to Ghana’s nascent hemp and medicinal cannabis industry, which government officials have touted as a potential driver for agricultural exports, investment, and job creation.
The new licensing program signals Ghana’s ambition to join the growing global market for industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis, but its success may hinge on the outcome of ongoing legal scrutiny.
ELIJAH ADEYEMI
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