NACOC warns cannabis growers licences can be revoked before three-year term ends

The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has warned operators involved in medicinal and industrial cannabis cultivation that their licences, although valid for three years, can be withdrawn at any time if they breach the conditions under which they were granted.

NACOC Director-General Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey said only two companies have so far satisfied the requirements for licences: MJ Adom Limited and Juliotpa Limited.

He urged both licensed operators to comply fully with the terms attached to their permits, including restrictions on the amount of land they are allowed to cultivate and the activities they are authorised to undertake.

“You cannot go beyond what has been granted to you. If you violate the terms, the licence though valid for three years can be revoked at any time,” he said.

Major General Mantey’s warning means that the three-year validity period does not provide operators with an unconditional right to continue cultivating cannabis. NACOC can revoke a licence during that period if a company operates outside the approved limits or fails to follow the requirements of its permit.

The commission also retains the authority to conduct unannounced inspections at licensed farms. Major General Mantey said such visits would be used to assess whether operators were complying with the conditions governing their cultivation activities.

He stressed that cannabis cultivation is lawful only within the framework established by a valid licence. In particular, the cannabis being grown must have a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of no more than 0.3 per cent.

Any cultivation outside that system remains illegal and is punishable under the law, he said. The requirement applies to growers operating without a licence as well as those who may hold a permit but cultivate beyond the limits or conditions set out in it.

NACOC is preparing to intensify its action against illegal cannabis cultivation. Major General Mantey said officers were already arresting people involved in unauthorised growing and that enforcement operations would be expanded.

The commission’s position is that operators must remain within the specific permission granted to them, rather than treating a licence as approval for broader cultivation or other activities. Limits on land size and the scope of operations form part of the conditions that must be respected.

At present, MJ Adom Limited and Juliotpa Limited are the only two companies identified by NACOC as having met the requirements for licences for medicinal and industrial cannabis cultivation. Other operators who grow cannabis without satisfying the licensing requirements remain outside the legal framework and may face action from enforcement officers.

NACOC’s warning places compliance at the centre of the licensing system, with inspections and possible arrests forming part of efforts to distinguish authorised cultivation from illegal production. Licensed companies have been reminded that failure to observe the terms of their permits could result in the immediate loss of their operating approval, even before the three-year validity period has expired.