- Speaker Alban Bagbin, Speaker of the House, has stated that cannabis use for recreational purposes is not allowed in Parliament. He argues that the legislature’s goal is not to promote or legalize cannabis for recreational purposes or smoking, especially in light of false media depictions.
- The House remains committed to upholding legislation banning cannabis without a prescription and preserving the Constitution.
- The Narcotics Control Commission Bill 2023 has been enacted by Parliament, allowing for the legalization of industrial and medical cannabis cultivation.
- However, the Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate Section 43 of the bill hampered the law’s first passage. The Speaker and Interior Minister Ambrose Dery criticized the Supreme Court’s decision and reinserted the identical clause.
- The Speaker warns that anyone who misunderstands or improperly uses the legislation will suffer consequences. He has commanded law enforcement to detain and prosecute anyone who grows “wee” in accordance with the new law.
- He also emphasizes that it is still illegal and criminal to cultivate, make, process, produce, sell, distribute, or consume narcotic plants without a valid permit.
