Ghana is turning to Morocco as a model for developing its own regulated cannabis sector, seeking to replicate the North African country’s experience in legal cultivation for medical, industrial, and pharmaceutical purposes.
The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) of Ghana recently met with Morocco’s Ambassador to Accra, Imane Quaadil, to study the Moroccan regulatory framework. The meeting focused on licensing, production control systems, cooperative organization, and certification procedures for cannabis varieties.
Director General of NACOC, Maxwell Obuba Mantey, emphasized Ghana’s interest in adopting practical measures that ensure compliance, traceability, and safety within the sector.
“We aim to create formal economic opportunities for farmers currently dependent on informal channels while safeguarding patients and industries through strict health and operational standards,” he said.
Ambassador Quaadil confirmed Morocco’s willingness to provide technical support, including hosting Ghanaian personnel in September for observation and hands-on training. “Our experience can help strengthen capacities across drug control agencies in Ghana and the wider continent,” she stated.
Ghana’s legal framework was amended in 2023 to permit the licensing of low-THC cannabis for strictly industrial and medical purposes, while recreational use remains prohibited. Licensing responsibilities are shared between the Ministry of Interior and NACOC, which oversees operational implementation and control.
Morocco, which enacted Law 13-21 in 2021, has established a robust institutional structure centered on the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis-Related Activities (ANRAC). Since legalization, Morocco has issued licenses, completed its first regulated harvest, and expanded controlled cultivation areas.
For Ghana, the collaboration with Rabat represents an opportunity to develop a transparent, traceable, and legally compliant cannabis industry. By learning from Morocco’s experience, authorities aim to balance economic growth, farmer empowerment, and public health safeguards, while ensuring strict prevention of diversion into the recreational market.
Officials hope that this bilateral cooperation will accelerate the implementation of Ghana’s cannabis licensing program and position the country as a responsible player in the emerging African medical and industrial cannabis sector.
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