Accra: The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has warned the public against the unsafe consumption of Kings Orange Flavoured Liqueur and Jupiter 1990. Those alcoholic drinks had not been registered and were found to contain marijuana (cannabis) extracts, it said.

According to Ghana News Agency, a statement issued and copied to them on Monday said the drinks were suspected to be illegally produced by Famude Catering Services based in the Ashanti Region. King’s 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 shut down the facility of Famude Catering Services, revoked their license, and referred the matter to the Suntresu District 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), had closely monitored the situation to prevent further violations.

However, in April 2025, the FDA received intelligence that King Orange Flavoured Liqueur was still being sold in Koforidua, and investigations led the team to a new unlicensed site. On April 30, 2025, a joint team from the FDA, NACOC, and the DLEU raided this illegal site at Jachie Abidjan Nkwanta and 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, and all seized items were handed over to the DLEU of the Central Police Command in Kumasi to support ongoing investigations. The FDA thus warned the public against consuming those products as they were suspected to have been secretly made and mixed with marijuana, which were unsafe.

The FDA urged retailers and wholesalers to immediately stop selling those drinks and return all stock to the nearest FDA office to prevent consumers from buying or drinking them. It was emphasized that consuming such unsafe alcoholic drinks could seriously harm one’s health, including causing permanent damage to organs like the liver and kidneys.