Ghana has dropped to 3rd on the 2015 global rankings of countries where Cannabis Sativa, popularly known as India Hemp or marijuana, is largely smoked or used.

Ghana, who only last year was cited in a United Nations 2014 Report as the number one consumer of the substance in the world, remains the 1st in Africa. The Upper East Regional Minister, Albert Abongo, disclosed this during this year’s celebration of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

Held in Bolgatanga, the Upper East regional capital, the event was themed: “Listen First: Drug Prevention among the Youth and Children.” It was organised by Life out of Alcohol and Drugs Ghana (LOAD Ghana) in collaboration with Basic Needs Ghana.

Despite a subtle but unrelenting campaign by interest groups and civil society organisations for cannabis to be legalised in Ghana, the Mental Health Authority says the banned substance poses health hazards.

Chief Executive of the Authority, Dr Akwasi Osei, says cannabis also called Marijuana, weed, wee and host of other names especially poses severe threat to the mental health of people who use it.

Dr Osei was speaking to Joy News’ Latif Iddrisu on Sunday as the world marked Day Against Drug Abuse.

“If you take Marijuana in your teens when the brain is actively developing, you interfere with your ability to be motivated adequately, to judge adequately,” he said.

Our own Kofi Annan, the former Secretary General of the United Nations has made a suggestion on cannabis that has stunned many people in Ghana and elsewhere in the world. The soft spoken 2nd African after late Butros Butros Gali of Egypt to occupy the highest civil service position at the UN is noted for speaking more on democracy, security and good governance. However quite recently he veered surprisingly into pushing for the legalization of cannabis and other personal drugs with the advice that regulations must be put in place by governments to curtail their abuse.

Ghana is gradually moving towards decriminalizing the use of marijuana.

A process has begun towards crafting legislation to decriminalize the use of marijuana and other narcotics.

This will ensure that attitudes to drug addicts move away from shaming them to helping them.

A new report by the International Narcotics Control Board lists the drug as the most abused substance in West Africa.

According to the report, only one out of 18 addicts gets help as a result of the criminalization.

Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan recently called for the decriminalization of cannabis to help tackle abuse of the substance.

Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is pushing for the legalization of cannabis and other personal drugs.

However, he said regulations must be put in place by governments to curtail abuse.

“And therefore, the fourth and final step is to recognize that drugs must be regulated precisely because they are risky. It is time to acknowledge that drugs are infinitely more dangerous if they are left solely in the hands of criminals who have no concerns about health and safety.

Ghana, a small nation nestled between the Ivory Coast and Togo, offers a thriving nightlife and delicious, delirious drinks, but you have to know where to go. Luckily, I was visiting my American friend and her Ghanaian husband, who is a prominent member of the Ga tribe, in the capital city of Accra. He knew the town like a priest knows the Bible, and I was promised a fun night out.

Little did I know how it would end.

A member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. George Boateng, has declared his intention to contest against President John Dramani Mahama in the party’s primary to enable him lead the party in the December 2016 elections, with a promise to legalise the cultivation and sale of cannabis in Ghana.
Speaking on Okay FM programme, a local radio station in Accra, Boateng said he would ensure that the legislation was put in place to ensure that Ghanaians can venture into cultivation of cannabis to enable them to export them without being arrested.

“It would be a great source of income for the nation. Countries such as Holland and Suriname for instance need these herbs for the production of drugs and Ghana can be their source of supply,” he said.

The Executive Director of Tema based anti-narcotics organisation Creg Afful Foundation, Michael Creg Afful has charged Ghanaians, especially religious leaders to reject calls by some persons in the entertainment industry advocating for marijuana to be legalised in the country.

According to him, such a call is borne out of an evil agenda aimed to devastate the country’shuman resources,adding that it is also intended to putstrings on financial fortunesof prospective wee or marijuana smokers.

Controversial radio presenterand reggae musician Blakk Rasta and a popularhiplife artiste Kwaw Kesse aka “abodam” have proposed that it was about time that “wee” or “marijuana” was legalised in the countrydue to its economic benefits.

Editor in Chief of the New Crusading GUIDE newspaper has described as "reckless" the assertion by reggae radio show host, Blackk Rasta that about 80% of Members of Parliament (MPs) might have used or are still using marijuana.

He was contributing to the debate on the legislature's decision to invoke its contempt powers on two personalities summoned before its privileges committee for comments deemed to have brought members into disrepute.

He remarked; "the wee one is completely reckless," even though he held the view that the decision of parliament to hold people for contempt was not grounded in law and history because the house was not a law court.