When in the course of the 2019 presidential election campaigns, the publisher of Saharareporters and

candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Mr Omoyele Sowore, said “we have to start taking
care of our weed (Igbo), such that we can also contribute to the GDP of the world,” many Nigerians
derided him. I felt at the time that Sowore had started a very important conversation we need to
have if we must tap into what is fast becoming a global money spinner in which our country has a
competitive advantage. In a Tweet from Thailand on Monday, Sowore got an endorsement to his idea
from Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu who said he was in the Southeast Asian country to “study how
cannabis can be of more advantage to the state and Nigeria at large just the way Thai government has
done”, adding, “Cannabis is used for medical purposes; how can it be cultivated for specific purposes
and not be abused?”

Akeredolu, who was in Thailand with Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah, chairman of the National Drug
Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), said his state would derive economic benefits from tapping into
the marijuana market: “We all know that Ondo State is the hot bed of cannabis cultivation in Nigeria.
We know how to grow it and it thrives well in the sunshine state. With an estimated value of $145
billion in 2025, we would be short-changing ourselves if we failed to tap into the legal marijuana
market. Our focus now is medical marijuana cultivation in controlled plantations under the full
supervision of the NDLEA. I strongly implore the FG to take this seriously as it is a thriving industry
that will create thousands of jobs for our youth and spur economic diversification.”

Before I make my point, let me state that I have never smoked cigarette or cannabis and I am quite
aware that in a country where hypocrisy is a national ideology and majority are moral policemen
(regardless of how they live their lives), the idea of legalizing cannabis will be hard to sell. But in the
world we now live in, it makes perfect sense to tap into the economic benefit of an aspect of
marijuana use that has been in a global issue for a while and I commend Akeredolu for his foresight.
Besides, even in our country, as Peter Tosh sang in his controversial album, “Doctors smoke it, Nurses
smoke it, Judges smoke it, Even lawyer, too”. But I am not advocating for anybody to ‘smoke it’.

Following the passage of a law in Canada legalising the recreational use of marijuana (which can now
be grown, distributed, and sold anywhere in the country) last year, the UK authorities also pledged to
review the use of medicinal cannabis which could lead to more prescriptions of drugs made from the
plant although it would remain banned for recreational use. The Israeli parliament has also passed the
medical cannabis exports law estimated to yield an annual $265m in tax income alone. In the United
States, many states have since 2011 legalised its sale fuelling an industry that is now said to be worth
$10 billion and employs 250,000 people in the country. “You’ve never seen anything quite like this,”
says Jeffery Mascio, CEO of Cannabis One Holdings, a company that develops and markets cannabis
products in Colorado, Washington and Nevada. “It’s a new industry that’s sprung up practically
over-night.”

At the instance of Mr Ehi Braimoh, I was in Port Harcourt last Thursday as keynote speaker at the
2019 annual conference of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN). In the panel
discussion that followed my presentation, Mr Olufemi Awoyemi, the founder of Proshare who is
never afraid to ‘shake tables’, said it was time Nigeria tapped into the huge medical marijuana market.
During lunch, I had a chat with Awoyemi who said there is so much ignorance in our country on what
exactly marijuana is. “For me, it is an agricultural product that can be put to many uses and offers
many by-products which collectively must be harnessed, regulated and exploited for the benefit of
all”, said Awoyemi who added that “It is a leaf that grows wild and naturally in at least six states of
Nigeria where scale and size offer a compelling case for an agricultural economic zone.”

The level of knowledge and awareness open to us today about marijuana, according to Awoyemi,
were not available when the laws were made to criminalise it in many countries. But since then,
research, information exchange and economic insights have shown that marijuana or cannabis has a
myriad of health and beauty benefits if properly processed and applied, as we have also witnessed in
Nigeria. “A common example which everyone can relate to, is found in the many female hair products
in our shops and markets today, proudly advertising that they contain ‘Indian hemp’ to add strength
and body to women’s hair. No one can recall any religious argument, stereotype or societal derision
from such choices yet it represents the clearest irony and shift in thinking that was lost on us all”,
Awoyemi said.

Our fears, Awoyemi argues, need not interfere with our promise and I completely agree with him. But
if Nigeria is to benefit from the enormous medical and economic advantages the agricultural product
offers, he believes we need to enact new legislations that cover the whole ecosystem: trademarks,
patents, intellectual property, weed planting, harvesting and shipping, tax laws, accounting standards,
customs & excise rates, tariffs, environmental impact assessments, etc., and “we should do away with
value destroying actions like burning products and farms which is akin to printing money and burning
it”, Awoyemi said.

With creative thinking, marijuana can earn for at least six states in the country more money than they
currently receive from the federation account, generate a large number of direct and indirect jobs
and create a competitive product value chain that is sustainable and profitable. The farms can easily
be ring-fenced and confined to an export processing zone (EPZ) from which the product would be
grown, harvested, processed into contract-determined specifications and packed for direct export
abroad with supervision by officials of both the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration
and Control (NAFDAC) and NDLEA. For that to happen, all the laws concerning cannabis use must be
reviewed with the intention of modifying them to allow for the proper leveraging of what has become
a key medical and economic resource.

SECOND ONE

Early 2019, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, the executive governor of Ondo State suggested that the state
might explore cannabis cultivation for medicinal purposes in its quest to create employment and
engender growth. Expectedly, the suggestion generated public uproar due to the notoriety and
addictive tendencies of the substance. Currently, the planting, harvesting, and consumption of
cannabis (popularly known as Indian Hemp) according to the Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA), 1935 and
Indian Hemp Act (IHA), 1966 is not allowed in Nigeria. The ban exists despite the growing commercial
importance of cannabis globally. Advocacy for the government to allow the growing of the plant for
medicinal and commercial purposes is growing by the day.

Despite the existence of the ban on cannabis however, Nigeria continues to be one of the major
consumers of the product globally according to media reports. A report in the Telegraph found that
the country ranked third in the world in terms of numbers of people who consume it. Most cultivation
of the plant is reported to take place in the states of Edo, Ekiti, Delta, Ondo, Osun, Ogun and Oyo
where the tropical climate helps the plant to thrive.
The plant's economic potential cannot be overlooked. According to a recent release from Bloomberg,
by applying the plant for recreational and medical purposes, the market would be worth US$90.4bn
by 2026. Apart from its medicinal properties, the plant can also be used for making fabric, rope and
paper which can be a major source of foreign exchange for the country and also create employment
opportunities.

Speaking recently at a press conference in Akure, the Chairman, House of Representatives (HOR)
Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Benjamin Okezie noted that the government is
intensifying efforts to diversify the economy through agriculture and that Indian Hemp is an
important component of that plan. He said, '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.' He noted that he has presented the
Dangerous Drugs Act amendment bill, 2020 to the House of Representatives for consideration.

We acknowledge the concerns of many Nigerians around legalising the plant considering the potential
for abuse and the inability of the law enforcement agencies to effectively regulate its use given the
widespread corruption in many institutions. Also, the country has a growing population of
unemployed youths who typically tend towards substance abuse. That said, we cannot overlook the
economic potential the drug holds for the Nigerian agricultural sector. The cultivation and
commercialization of the plant can potentially generate much needed foreign exchange earnings,
create employment opportunities and contribute significantly to the growth of the economy.

THIRD ONE

The Argument for Marijuana

Olufemi AWOYEMI, May 09, 2019, PortHarcourt

There is a natural tendency for human beings to engage in selective morality and establish baselines
for what is “right” and what is “wrong”, which are, of course, ideologically biased concepts. The early
adverse American attitude towards Marijuana (or Cannabis) and the imposition of a ban on the
‘agricultural product’ derived from the widespread use of the grass by black African slaves in America,
who must have found solace in the product to relieve sorrow and reinvigorate themselves from the
hard labour that was their perpetual grind and fate.

In furtherance of the stereotyping that went on then, the slaves realized that in a controlled context,
Marijuana provided them with a sense of wellness, hence it became an identity or cultural ‘drug’ of
choice.

The flip side of this however was the narrow lane it offered for meaningful research into the darker
side, albeit, the hallucinogenic effect of the grinded leaf which was a problem of abuse rather than
value of usage.
This society approach became elevated into mainstream thinking and invariably shaped the narrative
and stereotype that has persisted till late; and explains why right up till modern times the larger
number of people arrested for cannabis use globally were mostly ‘folks of colour’, rather than
‘non-coloured’, who tend to tickle their itches with synthetics and opioids such as cocaine and heroin
and a number of other coca plant by-products (irony).

The Case for Medical Marijuana

To understand the subject of Marijuana and the self-evident case for its useage, economic value chain,
and opportunity to better understand mental health and other issues, we must first situate the
context and construct.

First, at the very base level must be the need to agree on what marijuana is and isn’t. For me, it is an
agricultural product that can be put to many uses and offers many by-products which collectively
must be harnessed, regulated and exploited for the benefit of the sovereign.

It is indeed trite knowledge that Cannabis is an agricultural product, a leaf that grows wild and
naturally in at least six states of Nigeria where scale and size offers a compelling case for an
agricultural economic zone.

Second, the legal onslaught against the drug appears to be a perpetuation of the thinking that created
status quo in the first place – a product of ignorance, misinformation and a fear of what was
misunderstood.

Third, there exists a two stage model of development that allows the development of an economic
value chain around the product that is novel to us in Nigeria asw ell as leverage best practice thinking
on business models around the cannabis business. At a minimum, we can actually use this product to
deliver on the nexus between farmers, customs & excise, NAFDAC, dry ports and rail services.

Understanding the Context

The context of the ban on Marijuana or Cannabis, as it is sometimes called, relates to the
psychotropic impact of the abuse of the product on society. The level of knowledge and awareness
open to us today was not available then when the laws were made (in response to a growing problem
few had any better option of addressing than to criminalize it. This has been a recurring pattern and
response to subjects where the society is unable to achieve a consensus on what to do next.
Since then, and perhaps specifically for us in Nigeria, research, information exchange and economic
insights have shown that Marijuana or Cannabis has a myriad of health and beauty benefits if properly
processed and applied.

A common example which everyone can relate to, is found in the many female hair products in our
shops and markets today, proudly advertising that they contain “Indian Hemp” or Cannabis to add
strength and body to women’s hair. No one recalls religion, stereotype or societal derision from such
choices yet it represents the clearest irony and shift in thinking that was lost on us all. On the one
hand a ban criminalises the raw product while another government agency approves as “meeting
standards” it use in another product.

The choice has been made and the next concern must be how to approach the changes needed in our
laws. Yet, even without a major change; there are things that are happening and can be done to go
and grow beyond the thinking that created the incongruence between the law and the reality.

Research has now shown that Cannabis, if applied in the right doses and method, is known to be
effective in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among other ailments and disorders. This is
not new in the field of medicine where ‘medical drugs’, now classified as hard drugs, were used in
treatments under the guidance of professionals. With greater research, and deeper understanding of
the properties of Cannabis there is now a global move towards allowing the use of the product for
mental health treatment with the smart and sleek nom de guerre of “medical marijuana”.

The lack of understanding of context has resulted in Nigeria’s drug laws being wrong-headed in their
approach to Cannabis broadly. Given recent findings in medical knowledge of the usefulness of
Marijuana and advancements in its processing for both recreational and medical purposes, the
adverse effects of the grass can be eliminated or significantly reduced. The abuse of Cannabis in
Nigeria was just as bad as the abuse of old indigenous herbal remedies that have been equally poorly
researched. The “Orin ata” chewing stick was once seen as a queer African voodoo remedy, but has
since been proved by European scientists to be a significant medical intervention for sickle cell
anemia.

Understanding the Construct

The issue of construct relates to the spirit of the law that imposes a restraint on the use of the
product and the social stigmatization associated with Marijuana use. Both law and social perception
has since moved on since our legislations were crafted.
If Nigeria is to benefit from the enormous medical and economic advantages the agricultural product
offers; we need to discard with the old laws and draft new ones that covers the whole ecosystem
from Trademarks, patents, intellectual property, data policy, AI in weed planting, harvesting and
shipping; land ownership, tax laws, accounting standards, customs & excise rates, tariffs, rules and
co-location, port rules, local farmers rights, environmental impact assessments, minimum qty for
recreational use, sales and distribution rules, border control provisions, community and social
responsibility of businesses, export limitation and active promotion of industries, investment
incentives, labour laws, health and safety standards, medical regulation and minimum standards for
NAFDAC and SON, mental health awareness and patients’ rights at a minimum.

We can do away with value destroying actions like burning products and farms; it is akin to printing
money and burning it. Our fears need not interfere with our promise. It is time to do the heavy lift.

Imagine This

In a creative and constructive world, Nigeria would change the laws of the use of Cannabis. It would
allow licensed and registered growers of the crop, process, pack and export the final good to a variety
of international markets. This would enable at least six states of the federation generate an additional
annual revenue of about $800m each. The Marijuana farms would be ring-fenced and confined to an
export processing zone (EPZ) from which the product would be grown, harvested, processed into
contract-determined specifications and packed for direct export abroad with supervision by NAFDAC
and NDLEA officers. This would generate a large number of direct and indirect jobs and create a
competitive product value chain that is sustainable and profitable. The NDLEA laws concerning
Cannabis use must be reviewed with the intention of modifying it to allow for the proper leveraging of
a key economic resource. Rather than deny use of Cannabis, it should be allowed but within the
controlled context of products permissible by dosage and formulation.

This would likely reduce the cost of the product, de-criminalize its sale and allow people access to it at
standardized formulations that would not jeopardize their health. This would mean a reduction in
Cannabis-related patients at psychiatric hospitals and a pruning of the number of cases of youths that
are hooked on myriad of illicit drugs. Nigeria (and other countries) must deal with its youth drug
problem rather than deny it. The need to get people off opioids is understandable, even though put it
context, opioids were once the drug of choice in handling pain suffered by soldiers undergoing
medical operations during wars. Cannabis has a less deleterious effect on health and if produced
within appropriate specification and used in prescribed dosages can actually offer major health
benefits.

FOURTH ONE

Marijuana Legalization in Nigeria: Much ado about nothing

April 11, 2020
Print

Marrijuana Legalization, Nigeria

A file photo of NDLEA officials raiding a marijuana farm
By Temisan Amoye,
Marijuana, weed, skunk or Igbo as it is popularly referred to in Nigeria, despite its illegality and
vilification has found a way to warm itself into the hearts of Nigerians.

A 2018 report by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) revealed Marijuana to be the
most consumed “drug” in Nigeria, being consumed by an estimated 10.8% of the population, which
roughly translates to 10.6 million Nigerians.

What’s the fuss about Marijuana?

Marijuana is a flowering plant, once indigenous to Central Asia, whose buds contain over 480
compounds and cannabinoids, among which is Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC as it is popularly called,
the primary psychoactive constituent, which produces the stoned or high effects responsible for the
plant’s infamous, notorious and misconceived reputation.

That one single constituent is responsible for the “banned” status of the plant in many countries
globally. For reasons ranging from political, racial and sheer ignorance and least of all health, the
benefits of THC, CBD and other compounds have been ignored and the naturally-occurring Marijuana
plant has been termed a dangerous “drug”.

Sometimes, I wonder why a natural plant gets the same classification as drugs made in “labs” with
dangerous chemicals. At the end of the day, legality is a human construct. A couple of votes and
signatures by flawed men will turn the most abominable act into a celebration of freedom of
expression.

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For all the talk of Marijuana being dangerous to the health, alcohol, and tobacco have been legal for
decades, with both being known causes of diseases ranging from lung cancer to kidney diseases. I
mean it’s written in black and white on every cigarette pack produced, “Smokers are liable to die
young”.

Not one soul has been recorded to die from a Marijuana overdose. What an anomaly considering the
number of those who have passed on from using opioid, heroin, crack, cocaine and even alcohol
overdose. According to the CDC, the US recorded 47,000 opioids ( heroin, codeine, prescription pills)
overdose deaths in 2018.

Good luck finding something on marijuana-fuelled rage. And for all the talk of Marijuana causing lung
cancer, no research has found conclusive links between both.

Going back to the 19th century in 1840, the British colonial empire banned marijuana use in Mauritius,
in 1870 it did the same in Singapore, due to its so-called effects on indentured Indian labourers who
were its main users. Let’s be honest, “high men” are of no use for heavy slave labour.

Nigeria being a part of the british empire would go on to pass the 1935 Dangerous Drugs Act
criminalizing cultivation and consumption.

Criminalisation in America also showed racial undertones, where its use, primarily associated with
Mexican migrant workers, who christened the plant Marijuana, and African-Americans were exploited
by politicians to scare white voters. The success of the scaremongering would see California go on to
ban the use of the plant in 1913, with several states following suit.
Harry Anslinger a former head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, whose racial and cultural prejudice
was public knowledge, pushed for the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 despite the objection of the
American Medical Association. He would go on to successfully lobby for the inclusion of Marijuana in
the International Drug Cartel Treaties, effectively making the plant widely illegal.

It is worthy to note that while Marijuana was illegal in the US, Jim Crow and segregation were legal.
African-Americans weren’t allowed to vote. Moves to establish black rights and civil liberties were
brutally cracked down on.

I like to believe Marijuana would have been termed a “wonder plant” had its use been initially
widespread among whites. But in an era of slavery, racial discrimination and prejudice, what chance
did a “drug” mainly used by Indians, Mexicans and Blacks stand?

Back home, according to the NDLEA Act of 1989, marijuana cultivation carries a possible life sentence,
while usage carries a 15-25 year prison sentence.

In an era where countries like England, the United States, Canada, Spain, South Africa, Ghana and
even the “holy land” of Israel have decriminalised it for medicinal, recreational and private use. That
punishment seems ways too overboard, I mean some of those countries shaped our Marijuana laws
and narratives in Nigeria.

Despite the harsh and severe punishment, Marijuana use in Nigeria is widespread, From the North to
the Delta, where you have the famed Kwale weed. With the UNODC ranking Nigeria third in
worldwide usage, just behind Iceland and the United States.

There are well-known places where marijuana is “openly” sold ranging from N50 – N2000 naira a
“bag”. It is also no secret that some law enforcement officials that have been mandated by law to
carry out the war on drugs have decided to tap into the lucrative world of marijuana, by offering
protection for dealers, extorting dealers and users.

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They have also turned the fight against drugs into a cover for a lucrative extortion scheme, where
individuals are harassed under the guise of the illegal ‘stop and search’. Court officials are not left out
of the racket, who in connivance with security officials, extort those found wanting. And those who
cannot afford to bail themselves are lost to the Nigerian Correctional Services.

With ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo going on to say in an interview on decriminalising drugs ” I was
in prison as a political prisoner, i interacted with these people, some of them just for being caught
with a wrap of marijuana and they are put in jail “. And that same trend exists till this day.

Imagine losing your freedom and rights for what your contemporaries in other climes are legally and
medically using and making money off.

By now it should be clear and obvious that we are fighting a failing war on drugs. The consumer
readily has access to the product, the dealers are cashing out due to high demand, officials are getting
“sorted” by the side. Everyone seems to be “winning” except the federal government who keeps
funding a futile effort.

Recently, the Nigerian House of Representatives charged the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency,
NDLEA to be alive to its responsibilities, in the face of the skyrocketing number of real hard drug users
in the country.

There’s only one way to win the ‘war’ against Marijuana, legalize it. Ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo
in his capacity as the Chairman of the West Africa Drugs Commission and a signatory to a report on
drug policy by the Global Commission on Drug Policy called for the decriminalisation of marijuana
amongst others.
The report said that the current method of stigmatising drugs is a stumbling block to effective
policy-making that will help combat the scourge of hard drugs. It stated that emphasis should be on
‘harm reduction’ rather than criminalisation and incarceration.

Well, the Global Commission on Drug Policy is a panel of world leaders and intellectuals comprising of
former presidents and envoys. Some of its members include Sir Richard Branson, ex-presidents Cesar
Gaviria and Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia, Nick Clegg ex-UK Deputy PM and our very own Baba
Iyabo. These are leaders with real experience from setting policies to prosecuting bloody anti-drug
campaigns.

Nigeria stands to reap multiple benefits should she legalize this versatile plant. Benefits ranging from
economic to medical. And by now, the notion of marijuana being responsible for mental issues and
poor social behaviour should be dispelled.

A quick search on the internet will show contrary to marijuana causing you issues with your mental
health, it has been discovered to help treat anxiety, PTSD, depression and other mental health issues,
leading to countries such as England, Israel legalising for medical use. Thirty-three states in the US
have legalised marijuana for medical use.

Marijuana Legalization, Nigeria

Epidiolex, a CBD-based drug approved by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to treat seizures
associated with two rare and severe forms of epilepsy in patients 2 years and above. Photo: Benzinga
I could write about how Marijuana has been effective in treating a wide range of medical issues like
chronic pain, cancer, side effects of chemotherapy, epilepsy, glaucoma, but seasoned professionals
with better knowledge have already written papers on its medical benefits, available to anyone
seeking.

But as one who resides in Lagos, having to contend with traffic, dodgy security officials, street boys
amidst others, I was attracted to a Washington State University study which revealed that marijuana
helps combat stress and anxiety, issues most Lagosians can relate to. The study also found out that
women perceived a greater reduction in stress and anxiety than men did.

Once during a discussion with peers, it was discovered that some of our mothers resorted to using
highly addictive benzodiazepine and opioid-based stress relievers to cope after a stressful day of work
and home management. I wonder, wouldn’t a less addictive THC or CBD based pill, or marijuana tea
be a much safer option?

I imagine a couple of readers quietly acknowledge seeing Valium or Lexotan somewhere in mama’s
bag.

There’s the local misconceived notion that consumption can cause madness in an individual (heard
too much of that as a kid), if there was any truth in that, half of Nigeria’s youth would be straddling
the corridors of Yaba Left, that’s how prevalent its use is among the Nigerian youth, considering the
average age of initiation into cannabis use in Nigeria is 19 years old.

Marijuana also does not induce aggressive behaviour in users, as suggested by a couple of Nigerians
when they come across archetypal street boys and park touts with red eyes and hoarse voices and
aggressive behaviour, totally ignoring the bottles of ogogoro (local alcohol drink) consumed and
recently, codeine and tramadol pills.

In 2015, former Washington DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier said: ” all these do (arrests) is make people
hate us, marijuana smokers are not going to attack and kill a cop, they just want to get a bag of chips
and relax, alcohol is a much bigger problem”. If anyone should know how dangerous marijuana users
are, who better than the police officer responsible for locking them up?
More importantly for a country battling dwindling revenues, youth unemployment and looking to
diversify its economy through agriculture, Marijuana presents a good opportunity for Nigeria.

Legalisation of Marijuana will help create new businesses and jobs (direct and indirect). From the
“unskilled” farmhands, dispensary attendants to the PhD trained financial analyst of companies
vested in the Marijuana industry. Jobs mean new or improved wages and salaries, which in turn
translates to an improved standard of living. Better accommodation, healthcare can be afforded,
children can be sent to school, leading to an improved state of well being.

According to Leafly’s 2020 Cannabis Jobs Count, cannabis directly employs more than 243,700
full-time workers in the U.S. calling it America’s greatest job-creating machine.

New businesses and jobs also will help the government generate revenue through taxation. Taxes
rased from businesses and employees can be used by the government to carry out its functions and
increase spending. Improved revenue means more money for improved healthcare centres, schools,
infrastructure, social welfare packages, amenities or looting as the case may be.

From 2014 when the state of Colorado legalized marijuana for recreational use, it has generated over
$1bn in taxes for the state government. California raised that figure in just two years after legalising
the plant for recreational use in January 2018. Seeing as Nigeria generates less tax than Luxembourg a
country with a population of 602,000 citizens ( heard this startling fact on The Economists “The
Intelligence” podcast), legalization of Marijuana should be considered as one of the numerous
avenues to improve that abysmal stat.

With a couple of votes and signatures, drug dealers who were once classified as law-breaking
criminals could be transformed to respectable tax-paying businessmen in the society, who don’t have
to employ dodgy means to stay ahead of the law. Also saving government scarce resources that
would have been allocated to persecute a futile effort.

Marijuana Legalization, Nigeria

Gov Akerodolu of Ondo state, alongside NDLEA chairman Col. Mustapha Abdallah (retd) in Thailand
for the Medical Cannabis Extraction Development Program. Photo: @RotimiAkeredolu.
With the global cannabis market projected to be worth up to USD 145bn by the end of 2026, it would
highly be unfortunate should Nigeria miss out on the Canna rush.

In the words of the former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and current governor of
Ondo state, Arakurin Rotimi Akeredolu, after a fact-finding trip with the Chairman of the NDLEA, Col
Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd), on Medical Marijuana to Thailand, a country known for its
very tough and severe drug laws. Thailand also recently removed Marijuana from the list of banned
substances.

“We all know that Ondo State is the hotbed of cannabis cultivation in Nigeria. We know how to grow
it and it thrives well in the Sunshine State. We would be shortchanging ourselves if we failed to tap
into the Legal Marijuana Market,”.

Its only right and fitting that Nigerian laws should be made by Nigerians for the benefit of Nigerians