Pressure mounts on Ghana to decriminalize cannabis cultivation

The Committee on Advocacy within the Rastafari Council of Ghana is advocating the decriminalization of Cannabis, popularly known as “weed”, cultivation in Ghana.

The Chairman of the Committee, Khex Pongo, has said “weed” cultivation and usage have enormous economic and health benefits and so it is important for the state to decriminalize its cultivation in order to benefit fully from it. He claimed that persons who smoke “weed” are not susceptible to some illnesses.

“I burn the herbs, in fact, I smoke it and so I don’t get some sicknesses,” he revealed to Ekourba Gyasi, host of TOP FM’s morning show on Thursday.

When he was asked by Ekourba to repeat what he just said, he indicated “you no de hear what I de talk, a say a de burn amm, a de smoke the weed,” he reiterated in pidgin English.

According to him, weed can be used in building houses that can withstand fire outbreaks and so it will help avert the collapse of buildings.

Khex Pongo appealed to parliament to have a second look into the laws banning the cultivation and usage of “weed”.

He further told host Ekourba that in the event this advocacy receives a favorable response, “the laws should restrict multinational companies who are killing people with cigarettes, from taking advantage of the system to take over the cultivation.”