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Ghana Standards Authority boss wants marijuana cultivation legalised
Speaking on "The Lounge" on GHONE TV which is yet to be broadcast, Professor Alex Dodoo clarified that he is not advocating for the legalisation of marijuana but said the discussion on its benefits must start.
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"I’m not advocating that we should promote marijuana but several countries are now promoting medical marijuana including Canada… they are now creating green houses to grow it and we have them in the bush but currently it’s illegal. But that argument; that discussion should start," Starrfmonline.com quoted him as saying.
READ MORE: Marijuana grows well in Ghana - NACOB
Ghana is among the top countries said to produce quality marijuana and according to Prof. Dodoo, it could be exported to the Americas for foreign exchange.
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“If we have the best products, why don’t we produce it at least for exports to the market in America, the market in Uruguay, the market in Canada and in several other countries where they need it for medical purposes,” he said.
“Germany uses a lot of herbal medicines which are evaluated according to what Germany feels provides a fair balance between promoting the product and protecting the public and we should do that in Ghana,” he added.
This is not the first time the head of a regulatory authority has called for the possibility of cultivating marijuana.
The Drug Law Enforcement Unit of the Ghana Police Service has ALSO advocated for the decriminalisation of cannabis to help in fight against the abuse of the narcotic drug in the country.
Head of the Unit, David Selom Hukportie has told Accra-based TV3 that “…we also need to look at decriminalisation and here, I want to reiterate what Mr Akrasi Sarpong said.
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"Many people misunderstood him but when you look at the situation and you want law enforcement to tackle it without the criminal justice coming in to help it, it will be a problem."
The executive secretary of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), Yaw Akrasi Sarpong, two years ago, called for the legalisation of marijuana in Ghana.
READ MORE: Farmer jailed for marijuana possession
He said a "virtual legalisation" of marijuana was already in place as the drug could be found in cosmetics and hair products used by women in the country.
According to him, many Ghanaians, including respected professionals openly smoke marijuana.
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