By Mahmud Isa Yola
A debate has recently erupted in Nigeria about whether or not cannabis cultivation, importation, and consumption should be legalized. On June 26, the world commemorated The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, a day set aside to enhance action and collaboration in the pursuit of the goal of a world free of drug abuse. And on this day, the cannabis question was prominent in the stream of discourse.
The argument has become so heated that the Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. M.B. Marwa, in no uncertain terms, warned that Nigeria runs the risk of becoming a nation of junkies if the government legalizes cannabis.
Cannabis is a general word for numerous psychotropic preparations of the plant Cannabis sativa, according to the World Health Organization. By far the most extensively grown, traded, and abused illicit substance, Cannabis seizures account for half of all drug seizures worldwide. The seizure of Cannabis reported in almost every country on the planet is an indication that it has a global reach. Other facts also reinforced the universal usage of cannabis; consumed by about 147 million individuals, or 2.5 per cent of the world’s population― compared to 0.2 per cent who use cocaine and 0.2 per cent who use opiates―Cannabis abuse has increased at a faster rate than the abuse of any other illicit substance in the last decade. Because of the illegal growing of the plant in some regions of the country, Nigeria is acknowledged as Africa’s primary supplier of Cannabis.
Central to the Cannabis controversy is Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol or simply tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
THC is one of the many naturally occurring chemical compounds called cannabinoids, which as a group constitute the psychoactive components of Cannabis sativa. Among the approximately 66 compounds of the cannabinoid group, THC is the main psychoactive component of the plant that produces the “high” sensation. When consumed, THC exerts psychotropic effects such as changed body image, auditory and visual illusions, and selective impairment of polysynaptic reflexes, as well as distortion of perception, but also creates relaxing euphoria.
It is instructive to know that the psychoactive constituents of the sort of cannabis used in nations that have legalized it, such as Canada, differ significantly from those used in Nigeria. The THC content of Nigerian cannabis has been estimated to be 2.3 per cent, while that of the cannabinoids used in those countries is 0.02g. This fact speaks volumes about why legalizing the plant would be extremely detrimental for the country.
Nigeria is now one of the leading countries with a high rate of cannabis consumption, despite that cannabis is outlawed in the country. With an average of 14% prevalence, this is alarming, especially in the face of the fact that, unlike other nations that have legalized Cannabis, the country does not use it for therapeutic or religious purposes. In fact, we should have a sober reflection on the damning fact that Cannabis consumption in Nigeria presently outnumbers that of countries that have legalized it.
From all indications, the negative implications of legalizing cannabis in Nigeria significantly outweigh the economic benefits. Even without legalization, Nigeria is already at the forefront of the use and abuse of Cannabis; making efforts to legalize it will only lead to an epidemic drug usage crisis with unthinkable catastrophic implications.
