Uganda considers legalizing the production of medical cannabis

Uganda's Cabinet, which includes the President and a number of ministers, has set up a sub-committee to study the legalization of commercial cannabis cultivation in Uganda.

The cabinet is concluding studies on legalizing the commercial growing of marijuana. According to the Ministry of Health, fourteen companies that have applied to acquire licenses to grow medical cannabis for export will have to wait until 2020 for a final decision #NTVNews pic.twitter.com/ZZrgENCfpA

- NTV UGANDA (@ntvuganda) December 10, 2019

According to the Minister of State for General Health, Sarah Opendi, the sub-committee is chaired by Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda and is currently processing the proposal.

«The Cabinet has discussed the issue at length, and a Cabinet sub-committee chaired by Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda is in place to critically examine enforcement and regulatory issues. We hope that early next year, we will be able to receive a report from this Cabinet sub-committee and then make a decision,» a declared Opendi to local media.

Uganda is already able to issue licenses for export cultivation by decision of the Minister of Health. A number of companies are discreetly growing cannabis in Uganda, including Industrial Hemp Ltd, which is said to be working with the Israeli company Together Pharma. Last April, Together Pharma announced that it was cultivating cannabis for export to Canada and Germany, and manufacturing Sativex, which we strongly doubted.

Currently, 14 companies have applied for a license to grow medical cannabis for export, according to the Ministry of Health.