Ghana may have an untapped solution to restoring polluted rivers and water bodies, with research highlighting industrial cannabis’ potential to absorb contaminants from soil and water. Studies and international experiments suggest the crop could play a role in restoring water quality while offering economic and environmental benefits.
A Green Solution for Polluted Rivers
In the United States, researchers in Florida are growing hemp hydroponically to tackle nutrient-rich, algae-affected water bodies. The project, targeting areas like Lake Okeechobee, aims at “removing excess nitrogen and phosphorus,” nutrients that fuel harmful algae blooms, while scientists observe that “hemp roots and biomass act as natural filters,” absorbing heavy metals, chemicals, and nutrients from the water and improving overall quality.
This approach, called phytoremediation, is described in research as a “sustainable, plant-based technology” that leverages plants and associated microorganisms to remove or contain pollutants from soil and water, offering a cost-effective alternative to conventional chemical or mechanical treatments.
The Ghanaian Context: High Costs, High Stakes
Locally, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) estimates it would take $35 million to fully restore the polluted Birim River, degraded by illegal mining activities. Current strategies rely on “expensive chemical treatments and heavy machinery,” which stretch budgets and delay restoration.
Experts say Ghana could “explore plant-based solutions like hemp,” which could reduce costs while creating environmental and economic value. With the commencement of licensing industrial cannabis, Ghanaian scientists could experiment restoring the galamsey polluted water bodies with industrial cannabis, which has very low TCH, implying it has no “high” effect.
Soil and Water Benefits
Complementing its role in water cleanup, cannabis has been shown to “improve soil fertility” when residues are returned to the ground or processed into biochar, increasing organic matter, enhancing nutrient availability, and supporting microbial activity, according to studies published in Frontiers in Environmental Science and MDPI Agronomy. Hemp can also absorb heavy metals from degraded soils, making it a versatile tool for soil and water restoration.
Policymakers note that “integrating hemp-based remediation projects” could allow the country to reduce reliance on costly chemical interventions, improve local ecosystems, and generate biomass for industrial use, including textiles, construction, and energy production.
Towards Sustainable Water Solutions
Ghana faces rivers and soils damaged by pollution especially through illegal mining, and hemp-based phytoremediation offers a practical and cost-effective solution. The question though is whether the Ghanaian scientists would like to give this a try, given the strong opposition to the nano copper technology, proposed by the EPA?
