Abstract

On 21 March 2020, Ghana’s Parliament, through the Narcotics Control Commission Bill decriminalized cannabis for health and industrial purposes. The law empowers the Ministry of Interior to grant licenses for the cultivation of cannabis of not more than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active compound that gives the feeling of being stoned or high. Ghana joins Uganda, Rwanda, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa and Zambia as the few African countries that have legalised ganja. The race to legalise is strong, and unstoppable. However, knowledge in balancing the benefits and the potential downsides, as well as appropriate conditions for a successful cannabis industry is in short supply. We review the multiplicity of roles that the cannabis plant is here to play, and present a model of cannabis utilisation that simulates different supply chain paths. This study is exploratory, and it seeks to pose a variety of questions and puzzles for further research.

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