Alexander Twum-Barimah is Deputy Director General of Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC)
In recent times, especially since January 2026, there have been a number of police arrests suggesting an increase in marijuana-related activities, particularly along transit routes in the Volta Region, Northern Region and parts of the Central and Western Regions.
Alexander Twum-Barimah, Deputy Director General of Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), has addressed what is driving the surge in trafficking and possession of marijuana in Ghana, despite numerous arrests.
Speaking in an interview with TV3 on February 2, 2026, Alexander Twum-Barimah indicated that for many of those arrested, especially from the Volta Region where cannabis is highly cultivated, their target market is not Ghana but rather Nigeria and other countries.
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“The thing is that for most of them, their target market is not really Ghana. Yes, we have a lot of abuse within the country. That is a fact. But most of the people who are arrested, from our records, usually intend to move the products to places like Nigeria and other countries,” he said.
Speaking on why cannabis may be imported into Ghana by other nationals, the Deputy Director General of NACOC noted that there are different types of cannabis and the kind cultivated in Ghana may not be what some people are looking for.
This, he explained, may be why foreigners attempt to bring in other types from different jurisdictions.
“The thing is, there are different breeds or types of cannabis. The kind that we may have in Ghana may not be the type someone is looking for, which is why you may find people trying to bring some in from other jurisdictions. The good thing is that we are always able to arrest them when they attempt that,” he noted.
In response to what happens beyond the arrests and whether there are plans to address the root cause of the increasing cultivation and harvesting, the Deputy Director General noted that Ghana is about to begin cannabis cultivation for medicinal and industrial purposes and by March 1, 2026, all necessary information will be made known to Ghanaians.
“Ghana is about to begin processes for cannabis cultivation for medicinal and industrial purposes. By March 1st, we expect to have all the necessary information made known to Ghanaians. However, even with this, we are only permitting cultivation and processing of cannabis with a THC level of not more than 0.3.
“Anyone dealing with cannabis beyond this THC level will not be allowed to grow it in the country. The cannabis currently being cultivated across the regions mentioned earlier is above this 0.3 THC threshold, which presents a challenge,” he added.
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Source:
www.ghanaweb.com