Ghana Opens Applications for Industrial and Medicinal Marijuana Licenses

Ghana has launched its national licensing regime for industrial and medicinal marijuana, allowing businesses and researchers to apply for authorization to cultivate and process low-THC marijuana. According to a March 11 announcement from the Narcotics Control Commission, the licensing framework follows the official launch of the program on February 26 by Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak. The commission says applications are now open for activities tied to the cultivation and management of marijuana, marking a major step in the country’s implementation of a legal industry focused on industrial and medicinal use.

The new framework stems from Section 43 of the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020, as amended, and L.I. 2475. Under the law, licenses are limited to marijuana with a THC content of no more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis. That means the program is tailored specifically toward hemp-style industrial production and certain medicinal development, rather than a broader adult-use market.

Officials say the system is intended to support two primary sectors. For industrial use, the program covers the production of fiber and seeds. For medicinal use, it is intended for the development of pharmaceutical and health-related products.

The commission said the licensing regime includes 11 separate categories, covering a broad range of business activities tied to the supply chain. Among the categories listed in the announcement are cultivation, processing, breeding, research and development, laboratory and testing, storage, transportation, import and export.

The move puts Ghana among a growing number of countries establishing regulated marijuana systems focused on medical and industrial production, with officials presenting the change as both an economic opportunity and a tightly controlled public health framework.