By Edward Acquah, GNA
Accra, May 15, GNA – A delegation from the Chamber of Cannabis Industry Ghana has engaged stakeholders in the United States’ cannabis industry to explore opportunities and best practices for Ghana’s emerging medicinal and industrial cannabis sector.
The delegation, led by Dr Mark G. Darko, Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber, participated in this year’s New England Cannabis Convention (NECANN) in Vermont as part of a trade and educational mission.
Other members of the delegation included Ms Akofa Edjeani, Chairperson of the Advocacy Committee, and Mr Jeffrey Sarpong, Head of Business Development.
The team held discussions with researchers, cultivators, investors and regulators on industry development, cultivation standards, quality assurance, farmer participation and responsible market growth.
As part of the mission, the delegation joined panel discussions at the New England Cannabis Expo, where members highlighted investment prospects and opportunities within Ghana’s industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis industry.
The delegation also toured nurseries, dispensaries, cultivation farms and greenhouse facilities in Burlington and Montpelier to study cultivation methods, compliance systems and sustainable operational practices.
During a courtesy call on the Vermont Cannabis Control Board, discussions focused on industry regulation, education, stakeholder engagement and farmer participation.
The delegation also visited Vermont State University, where university officials expressed interest in supporting Ghana through research collaboration, capacity building and knowledge exchange initiatives related to the cannabis industry.
Industry players in Vermont said efforts were underway to build a sustainable cannabis market supported by local producers and effective regulatory systems.
Mr Dusty Kenney of Cambridge Cannabis Company said: “We kind of hold our pride to doing this the right way.”
Mr Geoffrey Pizzutillo of the Vermont Growers Association said stakeholders wanted “to arrive at the type of market that we want.”
Members of the Ghanaian delegation said the mission was intended to deepen understanding of how regulated cannabis ecosystems operate as Ghana develops its own industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis sector within the framework of national law.
Ghana amended its narcotics laws in 2020 to permit the cultivation of cannabis varieties with low tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content for industrial and medicinal purposes under regulated conditions.
Section 43 of the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019), together with Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2475, provides the legal framework for the sector and restricts cultivation to cannabis varieties with THC levels not exceeding 0.3 per cent on a dry weight basis.
The Narcotics Control Commission has recently opened applications for licences across 11 areas of the cannabis value chain, including cultivation, processing, research, storage, transportation and export.
Industry stakeholders believe Ghana’s regulated cannabis industry could support investment attraction, industrialisation, agriculture, research, export development and job creation while maintaining compliance with national regulations and international standards.
GNA
Edited by George-Ramsey Benamba
Reporter: Edward Acquah