The International Society of Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Professionals, ISSUP Nigeria has applauded the House of Representatives for stepping down a bill to legalise cannabis in Nigeria.
The society described this development as a welcome one that was made in the best interest of public health.
Dr. Martin Agwogie, president of ISSUP, made the recommendation in a statement released in Lagos. He called on the upper house to lend its voice to passing Miriam Onuoha's consolidated bill and urge both houses of government to pass it without delay
The bill seeks to amend the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA Act to allow cannabis cultivation for recreational and medical purposes.
It also seeks to grant the NDLEA power to grant, suspend or revoke licenses for anyone who grows, processes or uses cannabis. The agency will establish a system of registration and identification numbers for cannabis growers and producers in Nigeria.
Agwogie said it was not the right time to contemplate legalizing cannabis, because Nigeria is experiencing a crisis of substance abuse.
He said, “Nigeria is in a drug crisis that legalisation of cannabis should not be contemplated now. There are medicinal and economic values that can be extracted from the cannabis plant, but these are not without alternatives. Moreover, the economic benefits should not override the health and social consequences”.
He therefore called on the Federal Government to make all psychoactive substances, including cannabis plants “...which are available for scientific purposes, continue with the drug use decriminalisation process and invest more in substance use prevention, treatment and research”.
