Minister of Interior, James Agalga has revealed that government is considering providing alternative livelihood for persons who engage in marijuana (weed) cultivation across the country.
According to him, in as much as growing the marijuana plant is frowned by the laws of the country and is of great concern to government; the way to fight the practice is not to unleash security personnel on them.
Speaking at Starr FM’s Thought Leadership Forum held at the Alisa hotel in Accra, Mr Agalga stated that a new Narcotic Control Commission when operational soon will be empowered to provide persons who grow marijuana with means of livelihood.
“It is difficult to deal with narcotics in the country, deploying the police and military on persons who have cultivated marijuana is not the way to go. If you do that, you’ll end up arresting an entire community or village because people have grown the plant which has become a source of livelihood for families for so many years in various parts of the country. So what we are doing is how we can provide such persons with alternative ways of livelihood under the new Narcotic Control Commission if it comes into being will be well resourced to undertake that project.”
Personnel of the police service have severally destroyed large marijuana farms in various parts of Ghana including the Volta and Brong Ahafo regions which are known to be a base for persons who grow the plant.