- Alban Bagin, the Speaker of Parliament, has expressed dissatisfaction with what he believes to be the public’s erroneous understanding of the adoption of the Narcotics Control Commission Amendment Bill 2023.
- The Narcotics Control Commission Amendment Bill 2023 was approved by Parliament on July12,2023, and it made significant modifications to the industrial and medical cultivation of cannabis.
- By granting the Ministry of Interior the power to award licenses for cannabis growing, the modified bill made it possible to use this plant for a number of advantageous purposes.
- However, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin says the passage of the bill was not to legalize the recreational use of weed thereby urging the police to crack down on offenders of the law.
Bagbin Said:
Passage of the Bill does not connote or legalize the recreational use or smoking of cannabis therefore the House remains steadfast in its commitment to enforcing the law against the unlawful use of cannabis. We will continue to act in a manner that is in line with the Constitution and serves the public interest and advances our nation’s development and I want to employ all Members of Parliament and Ghanaians to share this information so as to dispel the misinformation and foster an informed dialogue on the matter.
I reiterate that the cultivation, manufacture, processing, distribution, sale, production, or use of narcotic plants, synthetic or semi-synthetic drugs without lawful authority remains an offence and is punishable by our laws and I, therefore, call on the law enforcement authorities to continue to investigate, prosecute and commit offenders to the sanctions of the law.
