The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, has stated that lawmakers at the National Assembly who backs legislation that legalizes cannabis cannot dare go back to their constituencies.
The lower chamber of the National Assembly had, in May 2021, started deliberating on legalizing cannabis in order to explore its production for economic benefit.
Marwa who paid President Muhammadu Buhari a visit on Friday, in Abuja, stated that cannabis has ruined a lot of lives across the country and should not be legalized for pecuniary gains.
According to the NDLEA chief, the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed the harm cannabis usage can cause to the brain, adding that Nigeria is the highest consumer of substances.
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“So, while we appreciate those who want to localise it for financial gains, we have to be careful to reconcile it with life. So it’s money versus life. And up to this point, science has not developed up to the point where it can remove the THC in cannabis to zero,” Marwa said.
“Therefore, cannabis is harmful to our health; it is a danger to society. We must never allow its legalisation. What’s more, Nigeria has 10.6 million cannabis users; this is the highest in the world. Isn’t it sad?
“We can never support legalization and I don’t see how the national assembly would pass the act because I know 90% or more of the honorable and distinguished members of the national assembly know the implications of this legalization.
“They dare not go back to their constituencies if anyone signs legalization because we’re seeing the implication on the ground. The youths, the families are being destroyed because of cannabis and drugs. It wouldn’t be legalized by the grace of God.”
Marwa disclosed that he always gets death threats from criminals in the course of carrying out his assignment, saying the organization has seized drugs worth over N100 billion.
He added that he also informed the president of the need to build barracks for officials of NDLEA.
