Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Kumbungu Constituency, Ras Mubarak, expressed on April 9, 2021, his belief that the cultivation and commercialization of marijuana could elevate Ghana to become the leading foreign exchange earner.
“In Ghana, we have large tracts of land which support the growth of marijuana and promise higher yields. It will also create jobs for our farmers who after harvesting their food crops have to wait till another planting season, leaving their lands fallow. But if we can plant marijuana during that fallow period, it’ll be a huge source of revenue to the country”, he said.
Ras Mubarak, the former Member of Parliament (MP) for the Kumbungu Constituency, advocates for Ghana to recognize the significant economic potential of marijuana instead of persisting in categorizing it as an illicit substance. He contends that legalizing and regulating the substance for commercial purposes could potentially elevate it to surpass cocoa and oil, emerging as the country’s primary foreign exchange earner.
Drawing parallels with Canada and the United States of America, where the commercialization of marijuana generates billions of dollars annually, he urges Ghana to consider a similar approach.
“We need to dissuade the minds of people. We’ve depended so much on cocoa and soon we will have to stop relying on oil too and we will not be gaining any revenue from that. So we need to look at generating revenue from our other resources”, he stated.
He believes Ghana has arable farmland to produce and compete if not surpass the multi-billion dollar marijuana industry of Canada and the US. “In Ghana, we have large tracts of land which support the growth of marijuana and promise higher yields. It will also create jobs for our farmers who after harvesting their food crops have to wait till another planting season, leaving their lands fallow. But if we can plant marijuana during that fallow period, it’ll be a huge source of revenue to the country”, he mentioned.
Ras Mubarak appeared on the Happy Morning Show, hosted by Raymond Nyamador and broadcasted on e.TV Ghana and Happy98.9FM.
Amidst the challenges posed by COVID-19 and the country’s economic struggles, the politician expressed his belief that Ghana would benefit from legalizing the use and sale of marijuana exclusively for industrial and medicinal purposes.
Although he asserts he has never intentionally consumed marijuana, Mubarak acknowledged using products such as eye drops and hair creams derived from the substance.
“The closest I have ever come to taking marijuana was when someone gave me ice cream which I did not know was made from weed”.
In recent times, there has been a growing push to legalize marijuana in Ghana, spearheaded by celebrities, Members of Parliament, and other advocates.
However, in March 2020, the Ghanaian Parliament passed the Narcotics Control Commission Bill, which permits the use and cultivation of marijuana for medical and industrial purposes. It’s important to note that this legislation only allows for the cultivation of hemp, a specific variety of marijuana.
Under the new law, there are strict regulations regarding the allowable concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of marijuana. The permitted THC concentration in the plants is limited to not more than 0.3%.
Recreational Marijuana use remains illegal in Ghana.