NACOC licenses two companies to cultivate cannabis for medical and industrial use

The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has issued licences to two companies to cultivate cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes under Ghana's regulated cannabis production regime.

The approvals follow Parliament's adoption of a regulatory and fee framework that authorises the controlled cultivation, processing and utilisation of cannabis containing no more than 0.3 per cent THC for medical and industrial applications.

Speaking at the licence presentation ceremony, NACOC Director-General, Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, urged the companies to strictly adhere to the conditions governing their operations, warning that any violation of the licensing requirements would attract severe sanctions.

He emphasised that the licence holders must operate only within the acreage approved by the Commission and refrain from engaging in any activities outside the scope of their authorisation.

"Those who applied and have been given the licences, there's also a caveat. You can't go beyond the acres granted. You cannot do other things you have not been permitted by the Commission to do. If you do it well, the benefits will be enormous to the company and the Ghanaian populace. If you abuse the system, we will come very hard at you," Major General Mantey cautioned.

The Commission said the licensing regime forms part of efforts to regulate Ghana's emerging medicinal and industrial cannabis industry while ensuring strict compliance with the country's narcotics laws and international obligations.