Legalising Weed in a drug-threatened population: Presumed advantages amidst red signals 

Two contrasting issues among matters of notations of dilemma in Nigeria in recent times, are the ongoing demands for legalisation of cultivation of weed plants and the need for diversification of the Country’s economy. While the cultivation of weed (substance) plants as cannabis has proven to have some huge commercial potentials, the threats it poses on a teeming population now encumbered with drug abuse have raised concern over the call for the legalisation of the cultivation of such weeds. However, the prevailing shortages in revenue with the call for diversification of the economy pose a luring advance before the Government – a case the proponents of the subject have hampered on in advancing their argument.

Notations of the threats that legalising cultivation of weeds in a Country whose social fabrics have been exposed to the depth of ravages of substance abuse with susceptibility to socio-economic deformities, have made relevant Federal Government agencies maintain a hostile stand against such calls.  The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), an Agency bearing top responsibility of clamping-down on illicit drug abuse/trafficking, has maintained its ground to keep alive a heavy clampdown on hard drugs and weed cultivation. On Wednesday, the Agency disclosed it destroyed an expansive spread of farmlands growing cannabis in Ondo State. The destruction is against the submission case of the Ondo State Government seeking the approval of the Federal Government to legalise the cultivation of cannabis for commercial purposes.  The NDLEA had on Wednesday disclosed that its operatives, have in a special operation that lasted seven days, destroyed the 255 hectares of cannabis farms spread across five local government areas of Ondo state. This is just as NDLEA said 13 suspects were arrested and 250 kilograms of cannabis seeds as well as 63.85kg cannabis weeds were recovered during the operation combing five major forests. The forests where the weeds were cultivated include Omolowo/Powerline forest; Ipele forest; Ala forest; Ogbese forest; Utte and Okuluse forest that spread across five local council areas of the state. NDLEA through the exercise codenamed ‘Operation Abub’, which began at Ogbese forest on Tuesday 15th February lasted till Monday 21st Feb, 2022, recording the arrests of about 13 persons linked with the illegal cultivation.

Also recovered through the operation was an irrigation pumping machine with over 700 metres hose for watering the illicit weed. Also, not less than 154kg of cannabis seeds was also seized at Ala forest, Akure North Local Government Area with over 30 hectares of irrigation cannabis farms destroyed and burnt. A statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA,  detailing the operation that culminated into the destruction of the 255 hectares of the weed, reads: “At the Ogbese forest, a suspect, Olatunde Olaoluwa was arrested in his cannabis farm measuring 10 hectares, which was destroyed and burnt along with other cannabis farms spread across the Ogbese riverbank. “The following day, 16th of Feb, the Agency’s Strike Force operatives in their numbers stormed Ipele forest where they arrested Amos Mark; Luke Job; Monday Momoh, and Otunuya Waya while 19 hectares of irrigated cannabis plantations were destroyed. One of the suspects, who escaped during the farm destruction, was later arrested in his house. The Omolowo community in Ogbese area was next on Wednesday 17th Feb when one Mary Udonije was arrested inside a 10-hectare farm with 16.5kg of cannabis seeds and 4.5 kg of processed cannabis. Also recovered in the farm was an irrigation pumping machine with over 700 metres hose for watering the illicit weed. Not less than 154kg of cannabis seeds was also seized at Ala forest, Akure North Local Government Area with over 30 hectares of irrigation cannabis farms destroyed and burnt. A suspect, John Mike who claimed to be a labourer was also apprehended with 2.5kg of cannabis seeds. On day four of the operation, 54 hectares of cannabis farm was destroyed at Utte and Okuluse forest, Ose Local Government Area of the state.

“Also recovered in the farm was 95kg of cannabis seeds, 2.5kg of processed cannabis sativa and a pumping machine with long hose. On the fifth day, one Anthony Agbe, 58, was arrested with 43kg of fresh cannabis inside a farm that was earlier destroyed at Ogbese. He claimed he was contracted by one Henry Daniel, (a.k.a Calender) who is at large to help gather the destroyed cannabis weeds. On the same day, one Ahmadu Abubakar was arrested with three Dane guns in a hut within a farm where over three hectares were destroyed at Akure North Local Government Area of the state. On the last day of the operation, Monday 21st Feb, over 50 clusters of cannabis farm spread across 47 hectares were destroyed and 2kg of cannabis seeds seized, while a suspect, Olorunlogo Lekan was apprehended inside a large cannabis farm measuring 10 hectares at Ala forest before it was destroyed and burnt by Strike Force officers drawn across Edo, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states Commands of the anti-narcotic agency. At least, 72 hectares of other cannabis farms in small clusters close to the identified ones in the five forests were also destroyed in the course of the operation.”

Ondo State appears to be a breeding ground for cultivation of cannabis, just as the State Governor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, continues to press for the legalisation of the weed for commercial purposes. June 2021, Akeredolu, had again urged the Federal Government to jettison traditional orientation and “archaic” sentiment that state that cannabis is a ‘devil’s plant.’ Akeredolu, who spoke at a Stakeholders’ Roundtable on the “Benefits and Opportunities of Cannabis Plant in Nigeria” had urged the Nigerian government to give legal backing to cannabis to enable its use in Nigeria, saying “cannabis is a multi-billion naira industry that can help diversify the Nigerian Economy if judiciously utilised.”

Akeredolu who had argued that, “the medical and economic merits of the use of cannabis outweigh its demerits,” had stated that advanced research has shown that cannabis has immense economic benefits if well utilised. He had further argued that opinions against the legalisation of the plant are as a result of the ignorance of people about the numerous benefits of the plant. “The planet earth has a constant period of darkness and light every 24 hours which we call night and day, in like manner, just like every other crop or plant, Cannabis Sativa has both CBD and THC content which we can put to good and bad use,” Akeredolu had said. Akeredolu had further revealed that Ondo State has one of the best Cannabis in the world which is capable of creating a million-dollar industry for the country. “What we are therefore advocating for in Nigeria is simply controlled cultivation of pharmaceutical standard cannabis strictly for medical purpose. I am saying necessary laws must be amended to give room for it. I am not saying it should be a free-for-all venture. Those investing in it must be licensed under strict control. We must find a way to legalize the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes. There is nothing wrong about it. We are only shooting ourselves in the foot. It is a foreign exchange earner for people outside the country. People want this. We ourselves, even our pharmacies want to develop,” Akeredolu had said.

He had explained that in 2019, the global market of Cannabis was put at 52.8 billion dollars and that the market forecast is an average 14.5% increase from the year 2020 to reach 103.9 billion dollars by 2024. Akeredolu had urged members of the National Assembly, the NDLEA, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and Research Institutions to have a second thought on the subject, saying it holds great potential in solving the current economic woes in the country. The Chief Panelist at the Roundtable, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, member representing-Bende Federal Constituency who doubles as the Spokesperson of the House of Representative, had agreed with Akeredolu, stating that it has become imperative for Nigeria to review the legislation prohibiting the farming and production of cannabis for medicinal and industrial use in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa had in September 2021, argued why the Federal Government would not be in support of the legalisation of cannabis. In his argument, Marwa had noted that the implications of the substance have posed threats to the youths and families, many of whom he said have been negatively affected by the weed. Standing the grounds against the legalisation of Cannabis, Marwa had repeatedly argued that the nation cannot afford to mortgage the lives of the citizens for financial gains, maintaining that the agency will continue to burn down Cannabis farms and prosecute whoever is caught doing the business.

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 hemp 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.

May 17, 2021,  opened the disclosure that the House Of Representatives was 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, last May, 2021, had disclosed that the lower chamber concluded an arrangement to organise a two-day stakeholders roundtable on the benefits of the weed. The build up had witnessed a stakeholder’s forum, attracting participants among scientists, medical and pharmaceutical professionals, farmers, insurance companies, executives, and private sector investors to make a case for the proposition.

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, political and economic impacts which its unchecked cultivation and production have the potency to portend against the emaciated Nigerian 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 before passing same for assent 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, and the attendant threats 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 a 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 breadth 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 breadth 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. As the campaign moves on, the contributions of Nigerians with broad perspectives, to give genuine positions on the subject from various angles are paramount to check the weight of the advantages viz-a-viz the threats.