Minister Aceng rejects establishment of medical marijuana firm

By Our Reporter

9^th April 2019

A deal that would have seen Uganda become one of the top producers of medical marijuana in the region hangs in balance after Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng denied approving the venture.

The deal involves a Tel Aviv Stock Exchange-listed firm Together Pharma Limited, which produces and exports medical cannabis around the world.

The firm is working with a Ugandan company; Industrial Hemp Uganda Limited, which is linked to former Bunyaruguru County MP Benjamin Cadet.

The Isreal firm had released a series of letters indicating that Together Pharma had the go-ahead to start growing cannabis and consequently set up an extraction plant in Uganda.

One of the letters from National Drug Authority was signed by former Managing Director Dona Kusemererwa and the other by then Acting Director, Inspectorate and Enforcement Denis Mwesigwa.

In the first letter dated April 28, 2016, addressed to Cadet Benjamin, on the request for manufacturing license for medical cannabis, Kusemererwa noted that: “National Drug Authority had already obtained clearance for the same from Uganda Police, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Agriculture… basing on the purpose of manufacture, NDA has no objection.”

However the minister of Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng denied ever giving permission to the project. And Cabinet must take further investigations.