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The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hempire Association of Ghana, Nana Kweku Agyemang, has said that the cultivation of industrial cannabis has the potential to absorb the harmful chemicals present on farmlands due to illegal small-scale mining activities known as ‘Galamsey’.
The comment by the CEO is on the back of the Narcotics Control Commission Amendment Bill 2023, which was passed on July 12, 2023 in parliament, to grant the Ministry for the Interior the authority to issue licenses for the cultivation of cannabis for industrial purposes.
According to him, cultivation of cannabis along the banks of water bodies can also contribute to the purification of rivers, allowing for domestic use of the water once again.
“Then also, it is good for the environment because at the moment we are clamouring to deal with galamsey and there are farmers sitting there looking at lands they would previously pay peanuts for, and those lands have been poisoned with mercury and other toxic chemicals.
“Well, I wish to inform you that when we cultivate industrial hemp on that land, those lands would be reclaimed because the industrial cannabis will absorb all the toxins over a period of time and the farmers will be able to go back to those farmlands and start cultivating high-value crops,” he said.
He added that “The same is true with our water bodies, the cultivation of industrial cannabis in those water bodies and the banks will clean up those water bodies so that we can return to them and use them in our everyday day domestic lives.”
The CEO also highlighted some health benefits that come with the cultivation of industrial cannabis.
“In medication, there are a lot of young people suffering from epilepsy and the oil from cannabis is something that can be used for all those features once and for all,” he added.
Prior to the passage, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, stated that Ghana was losing millions of dollars due to the lack of a cannabis cultivation license.
Speaker Bagbin made these remarks following the presentation and first reading of the Narcotics Regulation Commission Amendment Bill, 2023, on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, July 6.
The Supreme Court had previously ruled that the law granting licenses to grow cannabis, popularly known as ‘wee,’ was unconstitutional because there was no debate in Parliament prior to its passage into law, as required by Article 106 (5) (6) of the 1992 Constitution.
However, the Speaker, who stated that the country was losing out as a result of this decision, stated that he expressed his displeasure with the ruling to the justices of the apex court in a meeting and urged them to consult Parliament for proper briefings whenever such decisions are made.
