Legalising Cannabis: NASS must be thorough, not hasty in the debate of canvassing bill
The echoes of diversifying the Nigerian economy to salvage it from the scourge of depression and recession have been resounding since the woes of the economy have come to constitute strong forces brewing storms of disturbances in the Country. As attention has been drawn to Agriculture, some proposals which are considered as apparent intriguing ideas are beginning to show forth. One of such controversial proposals is the recent campaign to legalise cannabis used for Indian helm production in the Country. The idea has been gathering thicker cloud as it is now known that a bill to this effect has found its way to the National Assembly under a tag “Dangerous Drugs Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020,” which is believed that when passed into law, will usher in a new era of medicinal cannabis from production processing and distribution.
On Monday, disclosure that the House Of Representatives is moving to legalise the use of Indian Hemp in the Country for acclaimed economic benefit came to public knowledge. The Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, who gave hints on this during a press conference to canvass the benefits and opportunities of cannabis in Akure, Ondo state capital, disclosed that the lower chamber has concluded an arrangement to organise a two-day stakeholders roundtable on the benefits of the weed. He mentioned that a date for the stakeholder’s forum, which will attract participants among scientists, medical and pharmaceutical professionals, farmers, insurance companies, executives, and private sector investors has been slated for 7th and 8th of June 2021 (next month).
The lawmaker who noted that such countries as South Africa among others are currently reaping high revenue from cannabis which they export to other countries, was quoted, “Nigeria has been described as oil-dependent and not oil-rich. It is a worrying reality that we have not optimised the financial stability advantage that our oil reserves can provide us to diversify our collective investment and revenue sources. The coronavirus pandemic exposed our weaknesses when global oil prices plummeted by as much as 15 per cent even falling below $0 a barrel on 20 April, 2020.
“Indeed, our economy is still recovering from that shock. However, as the world increasingly shifts towards renewable energy and climate-friendly energy sources, global oil demand will further drop. Agriculture has always been a major strength of Nigeria and cannabis provides interesting prospects. Industrial hemp is a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant species that is grown specifically for industrial use. Once harvested, the crop has a high yield of edible proteins and fibres with more than 50,000 product applications ranging from papermaking, textiles, biodegradable plastics, fuel, construction, healthy food, beverages, personal care products, and pharmaceuticals.
“According to verified market research, the Global Industrial Hemp Market was valued at USD $5billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD $36billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 34 per cent from 2019 to 2026. According to the consultancy firm Prohibition Partners, by 2023, the value of Africa’s legal cannabis market could be worth over USD $7.1 billion. For this to happen, a candid discourse must be held by all stakeholders on the modalities for legalisation, licensing, and regulation of the industry. I hope that the two-day stakeholder’s roundtable discussion on the benefits and opportunities of Cannabis Plant and CBD Oil in Nigeria, scheduled to hold on Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 June 2021 will achieve this. To enable this process of legalization, I have presented before the House of Representatives, the Dangerous Drugs Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020, which when passed, will usher in a new era of medicinal cannabis from production processing and distribution. I expect that the exchanges that will ensue at the roundtable on June 7 and 8, 2021, will greatly optimize the deliberations of the National Assembly on the bill, as well as preparations by the executive arm of government to regulate the sector. Nigerians must understand that we are not alone in this race to establish a lucrative medical and industrial hemp economy. Based on recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations (UN) voted to remove Cannabis from schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, and reclassified it as medicinal and therapeutic, on December 2, 2020 Several countries have legalized medicinal and industrial hemp and other African countries are moving to do the same.”
While reference has been made to the health, industrial benefits of cannabis and CBD oil, it cannot be ignored that there are attendant social and political economic impacts which its unchecked cultivation and production have the potency to portend to the society. The necessity for the National Assembly to critically peruse the bill intending to give legality to the agricultural cultivation and production of cannabis in the Country is highly paramount. Since the Country is currently suffering from the ravaging effects of waving storms from heats of insecurity, heightening of social ills and the preponderance of crimes which are known to be aided, abetted, and perpetrated under influence of hard drugs and narcotics among which cannabis constitutes a source, the need to be cautious on the deliberations in consideration of the bill becomes pertinent.
Hence, the need to pay attention to such matters as research, legalisation, licensing, medical advantages, agro-economy advantages, empowerment, benefits of Internal Generated Revenues, Trade Exchange benefits, on comparative perspective is paramount. In this regard, perusing on comparative terms the perceived economic benefits viz-a-viz the direct and indirect social and political economic impacts on the society is pertinent. It is important to note that an hasty move to legalise the production and cultivation of the weed without well institutionalised legal provisions to check same, may brew social impacts which end result may defeat the envisaged economic benefits.
It is essential for the National Assembly to take the processes of reading the bills with high level of sensitivity, giving deep breath of analytical assessment to arrive at a position where perceived economic benefits do not set the Country at a risk of potential albatross which may create storms of unmanageable troubles for the social fabrics of the Country. Hence, the need to consider all possible provisions and give deep breath to all important sides to the subject is paramount. Hence, it is imperative for the National Assembly to take deep search into assessing the subject with time and thorough strategies to avoid hasty passage of a bill that though well intentioned, may lead the Country into the web of recalcitrant social, economic and political entanglements. More importantly, it is significant for all well meaning Nigerians from all spheres to display strong interest to debate the bill thoroughly through the intending public hearing.
