The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has strengthened its collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to promote research, innovation and sustainable cultivation of cannabis with a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of not more than 0.3 per cent.

The partnership is aimed at supporting the development of industrial and medicinal applications of low-THC cannabis, commonly referred to as hemp, while ensuring strict regulatory oversight to prevent abuse and diversion. The Director-General of NACOC, Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, said the Commission would strictly enforce the regulatory framework governing the cultivation and use of cannabis with THC content within the permitted 0.3 per cent threshold. He said the objective was to ensure that Ghana derived the maximum economic, industrial, medicinal and social benefits from the regulated cannabis sector without compromising public safety.

Major General Mantey made the remarks during a meeting between the management of NACOC and the CSIR, where discussions focused on areas of collaboration, particularly scientific research into medicinal and industrial derivatives of low-THC cannabis. He stressed the importance of scientific evidence and technical expertise in developing Ghana’s cannabis industry, noting that effective regulation must be supported by research, reliable testing systems and proper traceability.

According to him, NACOC’s regulatory responsibility goes beyond licensing cultivation. It also involves ensuring that the entire value chain from seed selection and cultivation to processing and end use is properly monitored and regulated. The Director of the CSIR-Institute of Industrial Research (CSIR-IIR), Dr. Francis Boateng Agyeinim, commended NACOC for taking steps to regulate cannabis for industrial and medicinal purposes. He noted that the development of a regulated hemp industry presented significant opportunities for Ghana, particularly in agriculture, manufacturing, medicine and other emerging industries.

Dr. Agyeinim said traceability of licensed farms would be an important component of the regulatory process and indicated that CSIR had the technical expertise to support NACOC in developing effective traceability systems. He explained that CSIR had conducted extensive research into hemp and its derivatives and was prepared to contribute its scientific knowledge and technical capacity to the development of the sector.

He further highlighted the potential of Ghana’s soil to support the cultivation of hemp with high fibre content, which could provide raw materials for a number of industrial applications. According to him, hemp fibre could potentially be developed as an alternative material for plastic packaging and could also be explored in the production of sanitary products, among other applications.

The proposed collaboration between NACOC and CSIR will cover several areas, including the establishment of model greenhouse farms to demonstrate best practices in low-THC cannabis cultivation. The partnership will also focus on the production and assessment of suitable seedlings, as well as comprehensive soil testing to determine which soil types and geographical locations are best suited for the cultivation of cannabis within the 0.3 per cent THC threshold.

Laboratory testing and scientific research will form another critical component of the partnership, with both institutions expected to explore the properties, applications and potential medicinal and industrial derivatives of hemp. The collaboration will further provide technical advice to support farmers, regulators and other stakeholders across the cannabis value chain.

The initiative is expected to help build local scientific and technical capacity while providing evidence-based guidance for the emerging regulated cannabis industry.

NACOC and CSIR are expected to work together to ensure that research and cultivation activities comply with Ghana’s regulatory requirements, including measures to maintain the permitted THC threshold and prevent the diversion of regulated cannabis into illicit markets.

The partnership forms part of broader efforts to position Ghana to harness the potential economic and industrial benefits of regulated cannabis while maintaining strong safeguards for public health, safety and national security.