The Ghana Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has cautioned Ghanaians and the general public about two alcoholic drinks in which it found some amounts of marijuana (cannabis).
Marijuana (Cannabis), popularly known as “weed” in Ghana, according to research and tests carried out by the FDA, has been found to contain certain levels of the drug.
The FDA, in a press release sighted by the Ghana Education News portal, cautioned the general public about the aforementioned two drinks. Retailers and wholesalers are directed to immediately stop selling these drinks and return all stock to the nearest FDA office. On the other hand, the FDA has directed all consumers to avoid buying or drinking these products.
The drinks involved are Kings Orange Flavoured Liqueur and Jupiter 1990. According to the FDA, these drinks are not safe for consumption and should be avoided by everyone.
In its press release dated 18th May, 2025, the Food and Drugs Authority alerted the public that Kings Orange Flavoured Liqueur and Jupiter 1990 are unsafe for consumption due to the marijuana extracts found in them.
The drinks are suspected to be illegally produced by FAMUDE CATERING SERVICES, based in the Ashanti Region.
According to the FDA, Kings Orange Flavoured Liqueur was originally registered with the FDA in 2022. However, in July 2023, during routine market checks and lab tests, it was found to contain traces of marijuana. As a result, the FDA took the following actions in the interest of the general public.
- Shut down the FAMUDE CATERING SERVICES facility.
- Revoked their license
- Referred the matter to the Suntresu Distrcit Police for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Since then, the FDA, in collaboration with the Drug Law Enforcement Unit (DLEU) of the Ghana Police Service and the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), has closely monitored the situation to prevent further violations. RECENT ACTION In April 2025, the FDA received intelligence that KINGS ORANGE FLAVOURED LIQUEUR was still being sold in Koforidua. Investigations led the team to a new unlicensed site.
On 30th April 2025, a joint team from the FDA, NACOC, and the DLEU raided this illegal site at Jachie Abidjan Nkwanta. They found:
- Bags and parcels of dried marijuana,
- Labels of Kings Orange Flavoured Liqueur, and
- Another unregistered drink called Jupiter 1990.
Samples of both products tested positive for marijuana extracts. All seized items were handed over to the DLEU of the Central Police Command in Kumasi to support ongoing investigations. PUBLIC WARNING These products – Kings Orange Flavoured Liqueur and Jupiter 1990 – are suspected to have been secretly made and mixed with marijuana. They are therefore unsafe for consumption.
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The FDA is urging:
- Retailers and wholesalers to immediately stop selling these drinks and return all stock to the nearest FDA office.
- Consumers to avoid buying or drinking these products.
Consuming such unsafe alcoholic drinks can seriously harm your health, including causing permanent damage to organs like the liver and kidneys. The FDA remains fully committed to protecting public health by ensuring that all regulated products, including alcoholic beverages, are safe, of good quality, and properly produced.
The Ghana Education News Editorial Team is a specialized collective of education researchers, journalists, and policy analysts dedicated to providing high-fidelity reporting on the Ghanaian academic landscape. Serving as a primary bridge between governing bodies—including the Ghana Education Service (GES) and WAEC—and the public, the team leverages over a decade of combined experience to serve students, parents, and educators nationwide.
Lead Architect & Editor-in-Chief
The team is led by Wisdom Kojo Eli Hammond, a distinguished Ghanaian Edu-Tech Entrepreneur, AI Solutions Developer, and Product Architect with over 25 years of cross-disciplinary experience in education, finance, and digital media. Wisdom is the visionary force behind SkulManager, Ghana’s premier school management ecosystem, and the Lead Consultant at Education-News Consult.
A self-taught innovator, professional Web Designer, and regular columnist on GhanaWeb, Wisdom engineered SkulManager.com as the only platform strictly tailored to the GES Curriculum. His technical leadership has redefined educational assessment through a Hybrid Marking Ecosystem, pioneering the BECE and WASSCE Home Mock services—a unique fusion of WAEC-trained human examiners and advanced AI marking engines operational since 2022.
Wisdom’s 360-degree view of institutional challenges is grounded in his tenure as College President and Lecturer at Pinnacle College (Achimota), as well as his background as a school administrator and accountant. He is a dedicated lifelong learner currently advancing his studies at the Accra Institute of Technology (AIT), with academic ties to the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).
An accomplished author, his works include Returnees of the Dead Forest (UK Published), Simplified Beacon of Light (850+ Q&A), and The Leader in Me. A foundational pillar of the award-winning NGO Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), Wisdom is committed to building intelligent systems that solve societal problems and prepare the next generation of Ghanaian students for a digital future.
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