By Our Reporter
Kampala: Uganda is facing pressure from Foreign Private Ganja planters to explain why Government has delayed issuing working licenses. This comes in a time when authorities are still struggling to complete consultations on the medical and financial benefits of cannabis and the idea of how to regulate the growing of medical marijuana.
Government had been put on pressure from marijuana dealers to explain why they allowed Industrial Hemp (U) Ltd, a private company working with another Israeli-based cannabis firm to grow marijuana in Kasese and “frustrated” others through “delaying tactics”.
Health minister Jane Ruth Aceng has for more than three months been ambivalent on how to proceed on a matter though confirmed writing to all the competing companies. When asked on how far the Government have gone with consultations, the Minister harshly avoided commenting on anything
“I’m tired of responding to the issue of marijuana, please leave me. I am tired. I don’t know what else you people want me to tell you that I have not already told you…. Forgive me [but] I am tired and am not going to discuss that subject anymore. Go to the companies [and] ask them to give you the minister’s response and I responded to nearly 50 of them,” Dr Aceng said.
Reports noted that Dr Aceng on July 3 wrote to all the 50 marijuana companies and alleged that Uganda had not yet started issuing operational permits for companies to grow and process marijuana for medical purposes, this was due to pressure from Marijuana companies.
Although the minister told companies that government had not yet started issuing marijuana permits, in April this year, on 7 Dec 2017 Uganda exported unrefined cannabis buds/ flowers to South Africa’s National Analytical Forensic Services in Pretoria.
Industrial Hemp (U) Ltd, a private firm working with an Israel company, Together Pharma Ltd, is currently growing and processing marijuana from its Kasese facility. The company was given the licence in 2016.
The company is also in the process of exporting marijuana, Cannabinol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) with mixture of 2.7mg THC and 2.5mg CBD for Sativex drugs approved in USA, Europe and Canada. Oil Risin contain Dronabinol for making Marinol and syndros capsules and CBD enriched creams for various skin disorders.
In one of the letters to marijuana firms applying to grow and process cannabis for medical purposes in Uganda, Dr Aceng wrote: “The government of Uganda through the Ministry of Health is still in early stages of carrying out wide consultations on this nascent area to understand the economic benefits of cannabis, its medical value based on scientifically proven evidence including the challenges of regulation so that we can formulate a way forward.”
She added: “In line with the above, we have not yet progressed to the stage
of granting operational permits for entities to grow and process cannabis for
medical export in Uganda. However, we welcome more information and input on the
subject matter.”
Mr Edie Kwizera, the former Bufumbira legislator accused Dr Aceng of
frustrating investments and playing politics yet Section 11 (I) of The Narcotic
Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 2015 mandates her to issue written
consent.
“The minister could be dillydallying because she is a Born-Again Christian but
the law allows growing and processing of marijuana for medical purposes,” Mr
Kwizera said.
“Many investors are stuck, they are losing business because she has refused to act. Let the minister ask Parliament to repeal the law if she doesn’t want people to invest. She is hiding behind wide consultations on the matter yet the same government in 2016 licensed some companies to grow the same crop. These are double standards,” he said.
