EX PRESIDENT ADVOCATES FOR LEGALISATION OF MARIJUANA
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The Global Commission on Drug Policy, a group of eminent world leaders, has called for a rethink on drugs policy. Case in point, Marijuana.
Just when we were sure that we had seen it all, OBJ speaks in defence of Marijuana.
The one time president of Nigeria has spoken up against the decriminalization of Marijuana in the country.
The Global Commission on Drug Policy, a group of eminent world leaders, has called for a rethink on drugs policy.
BizAfricaDaily reports that the group released a new report shunning the stigmatization of drugs is hindering effective policy-making, arguing that governments should be talking about ‘harm reduction’ rather than criminalisation.
While speaking with BBC Newsday, Obasanjo, who is the chairman of the West Africa Drugs Commission and a signatory to the report said:
“It is essentially a call for what we call decriminalization. If a young man tries to experiment with a wrap of Marijuana for instance & because of that we put him in jail.
“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, they’re put in jail. They came out of jail more hardened, more hardened criminals than when they went in. Whereas, if they have been treated as they should be treated & if they need attention, they’ll be given attention.
“They will be looked after, given a clean needle like it’s been done in some parts of Africa already. Harm reduction & safe places where they can listen to people, they can get attention, they can get counsel. This is the sort of thing we are talking about.”
Many have asked if the wave of marijuana legalisation will ever get to Nigeria. With this report, we just might be in luck!
Lesotho recently became the first African country to grant a marijuana license.
Now African countries Ghana, Malawi and Zimbabwe are making moves to legalize marijuana