Ghanaian Actor and politician John Dumelo has expressed his desire to cultivate cannabis after Parliament passed the Narcotic Regulation Commission Amendment Bill, 2023, yesterday, July 12.
Dumelo, known to be a farmer and an Agri-Activist who persuades the youth to venture into agriculture, has made his intentions clear on the cultivation of Cannabis for medicinal purposes, deeming the new bill a milestone.
In a tweet, he expressed his joy over the passage of the bill, which frowns on the criminality of cultivating Cannabis for medicinal or Industrial purposes.
“I’m very excited Parliament has passed the Narcotics Control Commission Amendment Bill 2023, which seeks to decriminalize the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes. This is a defining moment in Ghana’s history. As a farmer, adding the cultivation of cannabis to my portfolio for medicinal/ industrial purposes is definitely something I’m looking forward to. God bless Ghana. 🙏🏿 #idey4u”
The Nacrotic Regulation Commission Amendment Bill, 2023, was passed yesterday by parliament after a majority of members of the house voted for the bill to be passed after their voice echoed a ‘Yes’ to the third reading, thereby granting the Speaker, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the power to declare its passage.
Section 43 of Act 1019 stipulates that “the Minister on the recommendation of the Commission, may grant a licence for the cultivation of cannabis popularly referred to as “wee” in Ghana, which is not more than 0.3 % THC content on a dry weight basis for industrial purposes for obtaining fibre or seed for medicinal purposes.”
Prior to its passage, a ruling by the Supreme Court in the Ezuame vs. Attorney-General case, where a 4-3 majority out of a seven member panel held that Section 43 of the Nacrotic bill violates Article 106, which defines the constitutional process the bill has to pass through in parliament before it is passed into law,
The Apex Court held that, the bill did not go through a thorough debate on the floor of Parliament, hence contravening Article 106 of the constitution. It stated that the explanatory memorandum attached to the bill placed before Parliament did not set out in detail the policy change, the defects in the existing law, and the necessity to introduce a law to license the cultivation of cannabis.