Ghana has opened applications for licenses to cultivate and manage industrial and medicinal cannabis, as authorities move to implement a new regulatory framework aimed at developing a controlled hemp industry for economic and pharmaceutical use.
The licensing regime, launched on Feb. 26 by Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, allows individuals and companies to apply for permits covering activities across the cannabis value chain, according to a statement from the Narcotics Control Commission. The framework implements Section 43 of the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020, as amended, together with Legislative Instrument 2475, enabling regulated cultivation and processing of cannabis strictly for industrial and medicinal purposes.
Under the rules, licenses are limited to cannabis varieties containing no more than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on a dry-weight basis. Officials say the program is designed to support the production of industrial fibers and seeds as well as pharmaceutical and health-related products while maintaining strict regulatory oversight.
The commission has created 11 license categories covering cultivation, processing, breeding, research and development, laboratory testing, storage, transportation, import and export, as part of efforts to structure the emerging industry and attract investment.
However, the regulatory framework is already facing a legal challenge. Mariam Alhassan, a farmer from Techiman in the Bono East Region, filed a suit on Feb. 27 invoking the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Ghana to strike down the hemp licensing regime. The case names the Ministry for the Interior, the Narcotics Control Commission, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Attorney-General’s Department as defendants.
Alhassan argues that the licensing framework is unconstitutional due to what she describes as its “irrational design, exclusionary economic effect, and disproportionate exercise of administrative discretion.”
In her filing, she contends that authorities “acted unfairly and in breach of legitimate expectation by imposing materially higher… fees without reasonable accommodation of the consultative process,” and failed to introduce a tiered licensing structure that would allow smaller enterprises to participate in the sector.
At the center of the challenge is the claim that the government imposed “materially higher, unscaled, and cumulative fees” that effectively prevent smallholder farmers from entering the legal hemp market. Alhassan argues that the fee structure violates Article 23 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, which guarantees administrative justice and fair treatment by public authorities.
Industry reports suggest proposed licensing fees could range between $5,000 and $42,000, depending on the category of operations, including cultivation, processing, and export, although the government has not formally confirmed the figures. The case introduces legal uncertainty around Ghana’s emerging hemp industry, a new agricultural export sector that could attract investment.
Applicants must visit the Commission’s official website, www.ncc.gov.gh, select the licence category they seek and complete the required online forms before submitting the supporting documents.
