The Chief Executive Officer of Hempire Agric Ghana Limited, Nana Kweku Agyemang, has welcomed the Narcotics Control Commission’s (NACOC) latest move to operationalise Ghana’s industrial cannabis framework, describing it as “long overdue.”
Speaking to Desmond Okraku Danso on Metro TV’s Good Afternoon Ghana on Thursday, February 12, 2026, Mr Agyemang said although he was “pleasantly surprised” by the Commission’s statement, the delay in implementation has cost the country valuable time.
“I didn’t know it was coming, but we’ve been expecting it. And to be honest with you, it’s long overdue,” he said.
“It’s been over six years since the law was passed… and it’s taken about four years to get the legislative instrument prepared and placed before Parliament.”
According to him, while other countries have moved ahead, Ghana has been slow off the mark.
“We’ve lagged behind and our competitors have started the race. And we’re still watching,” he noted.
His comments come after NACOC announced that licences for cannabis cultivation would be granted only to qualified entities that meet strict requirements, including security protocols, product traceability systems, quality assurance standards and full compliance with the law.
The Commission also reiterated that recreational use of cannabis remains illegal in Ghana.
While describing the development as good news, Mr Agyemang said there is still uncertainty about how inclusive the industry will be.
“We still haven’t found out yet what the fees and charges will be. So, you know, there’s still that uncertainty as to whether or not indigenous Ghanaians will be able to participate or whether or not they’ll be priced out of the market by the fees and charges,” he said.
“Overall, the principle of it all is all good news.”
A major part of the discussion focused on public misconceptions about cannabis legalisation. Mr Agyemang was quick to draw a clear line between industrial hemp and recreational marijuana.
“What you are showing is not what the law provides for,” he said in reference to images of rolled cannabis being smoked. “This has nothing to do with the law at all.”
He explained that the law permits only industrial cannabis with a THC limit of 0.3 percent. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the compound responsible for the psychoactive “high” associated with marijuana.
“The focus is on the industrialisation and not the recreation,” he stressed.
According to him, industrial hemp can be used to manufacture a wide range of products – from building materials to cosmetics.
“We’re talking about a crop that can produce hempcrete which you can build… hemp wood… hemp charcoal. We’re talking about the textile industry. Everything plastic can be made out of industrial hemp and it is biodegradable as well,” he said.
He added that hemp can also be used to produce “toothpaste, soaps, creams, oils, shampoos, conditioners, perfumes and the like.”
Mr Agyemang cautioned the media against using images of recreational cannabis when reporting on the subject, saying it fuels stigma and misinformation.
“Many people think that now this has come out, people will be smoking all over the place… and that is not the case,” he said. “We’ve got to be very clear when we’re putting out this information to the public that we don’t miseducate them.”
Beyond industrial applications, Mr Agyemang believes the sector could open up a new revenue stream for government and create jobs for young people.
“It’s a brand new industry whereby the government can generate significant revenue from the fees and the charges and the taxation that will be imposed for the production, the cultivation, the manufacturing,” he said.
He argued that the revenue could support social infrastructure such as “the construction of schools, hospitals, clinics, CHPS compounds.”
On employment, he described the opportunities as broad.
“You can have them involved in processing. You can also have them involved in manufacturing. Some may want to open storage warehouses. That’s a business. Some may want to be distributors. So it’s so broad,” he said.
Touching on the medicinal side, Mr Agyemang said cannabis-derived products have proven benefits for certain medical conditions, including epilepsy.
“There’s a product called Epidiolex, which is made from industrial cannabis… and it’s for epilepsy,” he said, adding that cannabis-based medication can help manage seizures more effectively.
“There’s so many other things the cancers, the autism, anxiety. There’s so many other ailments as well that this is also good for too,” he added.
NACOC has indicated it will work with relevant state agencies, including the Ministry of the Interior, the Ghana Standards Authority and the Food and Drugs Authority, to ensure effective implementation and enforcement of the framework.
