The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Wednesday defended the criminalisation of marijuana use in Nigeria as opposed to several other countries such as the US, UK, and Canada.
The Secretary, NDLEA, Shadrack Haruna, who was a guest on Wednesday’s edition of Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, said there was “a lot of misconception” about decriminalising the use of drugs
He stated that the marijuana species prevalent in Western countries lacks Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and they have effective policies in place to regulate its usage.
“When you travel to Canada or any of those countries and you see that they’ve decriminalised marijuana or cannabis and they’re using it, it’s important to note that they have different species of marijuana and those countries have very good policies, enforcement, and measurement standards that they adhere to,” he explained.
Haruna emphasised that there are distinct species of cannabis cultivated worldwide.
“The species they have decriminalised in some of those countries are ones that lack Tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the active ingredient responsible for altering one’s state of mind,” he clarified.
“In Nigeria, we have cannabis that is far more potent, with levels reaching almost 45% or 100% Tetrahydrocannabinol. We cannot compare it to what they claim to have decriminalised.”
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The NDLEA official also highlighted the strict enforcement measures in the US, UK, and other countries. He argued that only a few countries, including the US, have decriminalised certain drugs, with the UK not being among them.
Regarding the UK, the NDLEA secretary mentioned that cannabinol importation was once permitted for specific medical treatments.
“However, they have recently imposed restrictions due to the escalating cannabinol content in that particular oil,” he revealed.
Haruna stated that while some advocate for the commercialisation of cannabis in Nigeria, the World Health Organization (WHO) has advised that the harmful effects of the substance outweigh its potential benefits.
“Some individuals argue that we can generate significant revenue from it. However, our focus is not solely on monetary gain. We prioritise the nation’s health and the well-being of individuals,” he asserted.
“Conversations around the commercialisation of drugs and similar topics are, in my view, misconceptions. The media should actively counter such notions because we recognize that they are detrimental to our country.”
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