Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, cousin of Ghana’s President Akufo-Addo has hinted that parliament will soon act on the possible legalization of Indian hemp for economic benefits.
He wrote on Facebook that “There is a whole new business growing right here before us. But will Ghana benefit from it or we will come to it too late or even when we do it will be for others to benefit? Parliament will soon act”.
His commentary was made on a published research article he shared from sciencedirect.com with the caption “Hemp as a potential raw material toward a sustainable world: A review”
Excepts of the research stated that “global warming as a result of climate change has become a major concern for people all over the world. It has recently drawn the attention of the entire conscious community, with the fear that if not addressed properly, it will result in the extinction of numerous species around the world. At the same time, it will pose a threat to human health, food security, living environment, and standard of living. Thereby, possible solutions are being explored accordingly; regulations have been imposed in places binding green production practices, limiting the emission of CO2, and emphasis is given on renewable resources along with the search for alternatives to carbon-positive materials”.
“Cannabis sativa L. (hemp) has received a lot of attention because of its multipurpose usability, short production cycle, low capital demand in cultivation, possibility of carbon-negative transformation, and easy carbon sequestering material. This paper reviews hemp as a very promising renewable resource including its potential uses in the paper, textiles, composites, biofuel, and food industry”
Meanwhile, the Founder of House of Prayer Church in Koforidua Apostle Yaw Adu has told Mybrytnewsroom.com last year that, cannabis should only be legalized for commercial purposes and not for consumption.
According to him, cannabis has lots of economic benefits which Ghana can exploit to help improve the economy.
However, Bishop Yaw Adu, who is Patron of the Local Council of Churches in Koforidua, believes wholesale legalization of the narcotic drug will be dangerous to the country but can be legalized for state-controlled production for export or manufacturing of drugs and other products only.
Bishop Yaw Adu was reacting to legendary Ghanaian musician Abrantie Amakye Dede’s call on the government to legalize the smoking of weed in Ghana stating that perceptions that weed smokers are bad are wrong and misleading.
“If you smoke weed, you’re not a bad person. I think the Government should legalize it,” the ‘Mmaa p3 sokoo’ hitmaker told Nana Aba Anamoah on Starr Chat Wednesday.
However, Bishop Yaw Adu who confessed to having been a chain weed smoker during his youthful age before encountering God disagrees with Amakye Dede’s advocate for legalizing weed smoking.
“We can be used to manufacture hair products; it can do so many things. It is smoking that is dangerous. But the minds of Ghanaians have not been built to the extent that if legalized Ghanaians will only take advantage of the economic benefits. so for me, it should not be legalized as a whole. The government can legalize it under restrictions for state-controlled production through special people who will be given powers to do so for export or manufacturing. However, if he (Amakye Dede) is speaking about the legalization of smoking then many are going to get mad. I smoked weed before I encountered God but maybe I was lucky I didn’t get mad” Bishop Yaw Adu
Fortune Business Insights estimates, that the global value of the cannabis market was USD 20.47 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 197.74 billion by 2028.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
