NDLEA Explains Why Nigeria Ban Marijuana Unlike Canada

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has defended the criminalization of marijuana usage in Nigeria as opposed to other nations including the US, UK, and Canada.

“There is a lot of misconception about decriminalising the use of drugs.” Shadrack Haruna, the Secretary of NDLEA told Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

“You travel to Canada, you travel anywhere, and you say, ‘They’ve decriminalised marijuana or cannabis and we’re using it,” he said.

“But of course, you have different species of marijuana and in those countries, they have very good policies; very good enforcement and measurement standards which they have to follow.”

There are numerous species of cannabis growing all throughout the world, according to Haruna.

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“The species they have, which they say they have decriminalised in some of those countries, are those without Tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the active ingredient that makes one to be something else,” he said.

“We have cannabis that is far, far more potent, almost 45 per cent, 100 per cent Tetrahydrocannabinol. We can’t compare it to what they’re saying they have decriminalised.”

He explained that enforcement is rigorous in such countries and that not many countries, including the United States, have “actually said we have decriminalized some of these drugs.” None, including the United Kingdom.”

He stated that the UK formerly permitted the importation of cannabinol, which is used in some medicinal treatments.

“But of late, they have also restricted it because they’ve noticed the increasing content of cannabinol in that particular oil,” he said.

The World Health Organization (WHO), Haruna continued, has said that cannabis’ negative effects outweigh its positive ones.

“Some people are saying, ‘We make a lot of money from it.’ But it is not the money we are looking for. We are looking for the health of the nation. We’re looking for the well-being of individuals,” he said.

“But they are talking about the commercialisation of drugs and all those things. To me, it is a misconception, which of course the media should come out against it because we know that it’s something that is wrong for this country.”