October 19 – Peter Tosh Day: A Call to end Cannabis Prohibition and fulfill the Bush Doctor’s Vision

October 19 is now officially recognized as Peter Tosh Day – a time to honor one of history’s most courageous figures and a global icon of truth, justice, and freedom. Peter Tosh was more than a reggae legend; he was a prophet whose words still ring true with power and urgency. When he sang “Legalize It” in 1976, the world laughed. Today, nations across the globe are finally catching up – legalizing and regulating cannabis as medicine, industry, and sacrament.

Tosh’s journey from “Legalize It” to “Bush Doctor” to “Nah Goa Jail” was a fearless mission to free both the plant and the people. He saw ganja as a gift – a healing herb criminalized by systems that never understood its roots in African and Rastafari culture. Tosh risked his life, his freedom, and his career to demand what many now recognize as common sense: cannabis is not a crime.

Today, much of the world (including bodies such as the UN and EU, and countries) has acted on the realization that the early-20th century colonial anti-cannabis laws cannot be allowed to continue destroying 21st century lives. The arbitrary arrests, extortion, injuries and even deaths have persisted under Ghana’s cannabis decriminalization project.

As we mark this Peter Tosh Day, we call directly upon the President, the Minister of National Security, the Minister of Agriculture, and NARCOC to move beyond symbolic reform and enact immediate regulations abolishing cannabis prohibition. The time for delay has passed. Africa must now lead the world by immediately abolishing cannabis prohibition.

That said, Tosh’s struggle was never just about the herb; it was about freedom, African liberation, and unity.

He demanded that Black people everywhere rise in self-determination and that governments respect the natural rights of their citizens. His message was clear: “No peace until there’s equal rights and justice.”

Cannabis prohibition is a colonially imposed measure that has not benefitted Africa in any way.

On this Peter Tosh Day, let us not only remember his words – let us act on them. The abolition of cannabis prohibition is not just a policy change; it is an act of justice, a step toward repairing the harms of colonial criminalization, and the fulfilment of the Bush Doctor’s vision.

The people are ready. The world is ready. It is time for the government to act.

Khex Pongo,

Chairman

Advocacy Committee