The Ghanaian government has commenced the issuance of licenses to individuals and corporations for the cultivation and management of cannabis.

Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission made the announcement in an official document dated March 11, 2026, which was signed by Francis Okpoku Amoah, the commission’s acting director of public affairs and international relations.

The commission noted that its decision follows the launch of the national licensing regime on 26 February 2026 by Ghana’s minister for the interior.

“Following the historic launch of the national licensing regime on 26 February 2026 by the Minister for the Interior, Hon. Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak (MP), the Narcotics Control Commission (NCC) is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the cultivation and management of cannabis,” the document reads.

The narcotics commission said the development is a milestone which marks the implementation of Section 43 of the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019), as amended, and L.I. 2475. 

It added that the development signifies a strategic shift toward harnessing the economic and health potential of cannabis while maintaining the highest regulatory standards.

It, however, noted that in strict accordance with the law, “licenses are exclusively for cannabis with a THC content of not more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis.”

The commission said the licensing for the cultivation and management of cannabis is meant for industrial use, for the production of high-quality fiber and seeds, and for medicinal use, for the development of pharmaceutical and health-related products.

The commission further noted that it was inviting interested individuals and corporate entities to participate in the growing industry, adding that the agency offers a comprehensive regulatory framework across eleven distinct license categories, which are cultivation, processing, breeding, research and development, laboratory and testing, storage, transportation, import, export, sales and distribution, advertising, and promotion.

With the announcement, Ghana has now joined the growing list of African countries that have legalised cannabis for industrial and medical usage.

The other nine African countries are Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Morocco, South Africa, Lesotho, Rwanda, Uganda, and Eswatini.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has refused to legalise cannabis for industrial and medical use despite calls for its legalisation by activist Omoyele Sowore and Rotimi Akeredolu, a former governor of Ondo State, who is now late.