Uganda warns cannabis investors: a licence is no shield from prosecution

A licence to grow cannabis in Uganda does not put an investor beyond the reach of drug-control laws. The government has warned that operators who send authorised production into the illicit market, misuse permits or falsify records will face legal action, according to Daily Monitor Uganda (direct). The warning draws a firm line around an emerging business: investment is welcome, but only within controls designed to keep cannabis in approved medical and industrial channels.

Juma Witonze Kisekka, the State minister for Internal Affairs, delivered that message at the annual general meeting of the Uganda Medical Cannabis and Industrial Hemp Cooperative Society in Naguru, Kampala. He said the government was willing to work with businesses that follow the rules. His warning covered both the diversion of controlled substances—drugs whose production and use are restricted by law—and the use of such diversion as a cover for criminal activity.

Operators who misuse licences, falsify records or divert controlled substances will face action under the law, Kisekka warned.

Investment potential comes with strict limits

Kisekka described regulated medical cannabis and industrial hemp as a potential source of investment, agricultural change and pharmaceutical development. He also pointed to opportunities for scientific innovation, employment and a broader range of exports. Those prospects underpin the government's welcome for legitimate investors, but his remarks made clear that the sector's economic promise would not excuse breaches of the law.

For growers and investors, the challenge is to develop that business without allowing legally cultivated cannabis to reach unauthorised users. Authorities cautioned that crops intended for approved purposes could instead be abused if operators fail to follow strict controls. Kisekka said Uganda was at an important point in the industry's development, with investment opportunities needing to be balanced against public health and national security.

The main legal framework is the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act, 2024. It came into force on April 14, 2025, and governs the control of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, which affect mental processes. The ministers' remarks placed the emerging cannabis business within that wider system of drug regulation, rather than treating cultivation licences as permission to operate without restrictions.

A cooperative, not a recreational-use campaign

Justine Kasule Lumumba, the minister of ICT and National Guidance, reinforced the warning at the same meeting. She said permission to grow cannabis did not give farmers freedom to disregard the law. Describing the sector as unusual, tightly regulated and frequently misunderstood, she called for responsible conduct and portrayed the gathering as the start of an institution, not simply a newly registered cooperative's first formal meeting.

Lumumba also drew boundaries around the cooperative's role. It was neither campaigning for recreational cannabis consumption nor seeking to take the place of government regulators, she said. She acknowledged parents' concerns about drugs rather than dismissing them. As the sector develops, the issue to watch is whether growers and investors can pursue its stated economic opportunities while keeping production inside authorised channels—the condition officials have placed at the centre of their support.