Nigeria cannot support legalisation of cannabis for non-medical use —NAFDAC DG

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), says Nigeria will not be a party to supporting the trend of legalising cannabis for non-medical use as “the country lacks the financial capacity to fight the cultivation, production and illegal use of the substance.”

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Christianah Adeyeye, who disclosed this during the launch of the INCB Annual Report, Availability Supplement and Precursor Report for 2022 in Lagos on Monday, said such a move will lead to a widespread abuse which will not do the nation any good.

She added that challenges arising from drug supply and consumption were not restricted to people who use drugs, but have wider health, social and economic consequences on the family, community and country.

The DG added that the 2018 National Drug Use Survey revealed that the prevalence of any drug was 14.44 per cent or 14.3 million people using drugs between the ages of 15 and 64 years.

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“The report also revealed that cannabis is the most commonly used drug. An estimated 10.8 per cent of the population or 10.6 million people, had used cannabis in the past year,” she said.

“The average age of initiation of cannabis use among the general population was 19 years.

“Cannabis use was seven times higher among men (18.8 per cent among men vs. 2.6 per cent of women), while the gender gap in the non-medical use of pharmaceutical opioids (such as tramadol) was less marked.

“Consequently, Nigeria will not support the trend of legalization of cannabis for non-medical use as our country lacks the financial capacity to fight cultivation, production and illegal use of the substance,” she insisted.

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