Ghana must legalise Marijuana to enjoy economic benefits

 Conversations about whether or not Ghana should legalize the use of marijuana have caught the attention of some Ghanaians in recent times.

This has been triggered by a campaign led by the Rastafarian Council of Ghana to get the state to legalize it for medicinal and economic gains.

A Neuroscientist Drug Researcher at the University of Columbia, Professor Carl Hart wants Ghana to consider legalizing and regulating the drug so Ghana could enjoy its enormous benefits.

He believes users of the drug will be more responsible when it is regulated.

“…People are making money out of this and we have to implement it and improve on its education,” he said.

Other countries like Canada, Uruguay and some parts of the US have legalised the possession and use of recreational cannabis, sparking a controversy about the importance of the substance.

Whilst some have explained the economic benefits of the narcotic drug, others have raised concerns about its health implications.

Chairman of Parliament’s Select Committee of Defence and Interior, Seth Kwame Acheampong, had said the committee will soon take some decision on the usage of the drug in Ghana.

“A lot is happening but we are not even at the consideration stage of the Bill. We are to enter the face of putting out a report to give the country a useful law, that will benefit both sides,” he said.

In April, the Rastafari Council of Ghana, among other demands and concerns, strongly demanded from the Government of Ghana to decriminalize the use of marijuana and make available to the general public processes for obtaining a license to use, smoke, consume, grow and export marijuana, otherwise known as Cannabis.

The Narcotic Drugs (Control, Enforcement And Sanctions) Law- 1990 (PNDCL 236) prohibits the possession, administration, smoking and consumption of marijuana without lawful authorization.