The Kwahu Afram Plains North magistrate court presided by Her Worship Augustine Akusa-Am has remanded into Police custody the five suspects arrested over the largest cannabis farm in Obour Forest in Afram Plains North district of the Eastern Region.
The suspects are Michael Anakpo, a teacher at Donkorkrom Agric Senior High School, Blewu Nomenyo, Korsi Mawuena, Charles Kale, and Emmanuel Kojo.
Their pleas were however not taken. They will reappear on Wednesday August 17, 2022.
The Afram Plains North District office of the Forestry Commission of Ghana arrested the five suspects with Michael Nakpo as gang leader, for farming about 80 hectare- cannabis farm in Obour Nkrumah forest.
More than ten other suspects met on the cannabis farm however managed to escape after attempted attack on the forestry officials.
The Forestry operation team led by the District Forestry Manager Richard Amoateng, retrieved 3 big sacks, and 6 mini sacks of the harvested Cannabis, 5 Plastic water containers filled with harvested cannabis, cutlasses, alcohol laced with cannabis and many others.
The suspects had also nursed many seedlings of cannabis to be planted.
The team also counted about 13 tents in the farm that accommodated them.
They had also erected a warning sign “Don’t attempt.”
The Forestry Commission and the Police will on Tuesday August 16, 2022 invade the cannabis farm for destruction.
Ghana’s new Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019) ,passed by Parliament on March 20, 2020 and assented to by the President on May 11, 2020, seeks to treat drug use and dependency as a public health issue rather than focusing on law enforcement, incarceration, punishment and repression. The new law has converted prison term for drug possession for personal use into a fine of between 200 to 500 penalty units equivalent to Ghc2,400 to Ghc 6000 respectively.
Section 43 of Act 1019 of the Narcotic Control Commission Act, 2022 (Act 1019) stipulates that “the Minister on the recommendation of the Commission, may grant a licence for the cultivation of cannabis popularly referred to as “wee” in Ghana, which is not more than 0.3 % THC content on a dry weight basis for industrial purposes for obtaining fibre or seed for medicinal purposes.
However, in a 4-3 majority decision Wednesday (July 28, 2022), a seven-member panel of the apex court held this section violates Article 106 of the 1992 Constitution, which details the processes a bill must go through before it is passed into law by Parliament, and was therefore null and void.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Kojo Ansah
