Mental health experts spell doom over legalisation of mairungi

The leadership of the Addiction Prevention and Rehabilitation Association of Uganda (APRAU) has appealed to Parliament to reject the call for legalisation of production and trade in addictive substances –marijuana and khat.  

Speaking to journalists in Kampala on Thursday, Mr Isharaza Mwebaze, the APRAU chairperson, said legalisation would worsen the situation as rehabilitation centers are seeing increases in young people and women with substance use disorders or addictions. 

APRAU brings together private rehabilitation centres and organisations fighting substance use. 

“Among the people who come into our centers, about 41 percent are using marijuana and these statistics are especially high among women who come for treatment,” Mr Mwebaze revealed.

He added: “Marijuana is one of the substances which has a very high prevalence [of use/abuse] in this country. It is commonly used, yet it is illegal currently. And it's one of the biggest causes of substance use disorders and addiction especially among our young people in our different treatment facilities and institutions.”

This comes amid the proposals by the Minister for Internal Affairs Maj Gen (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire and some businessmen that government should legalise controlled production and sale of some forms of marijuana (cannabis) for medicinal use because of its good economic potential. They also said khat (commonly known as miraa or mairungi) is safer than alcohol which government allows to be sold to the public.

Gen Otafire told Parliament Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs on July 6, 2023: “I want to remove khat and part of cannabis from prohibited substances; when you consider khat and alcohol, khat is kindergarten pleasure; you cannot sell alcohol and prohibit khat.”

He added: “Cannabis has now become something we get for medicinal substance; the medicinal plant is a multi-billion-dollar business; it is grown widely in Canada, the United States and other countries.”

Parliament is currently receiving submissions to process the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Bill, after the Constitutional Court in May annulled the previously enacted Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Act, for being passed without quorum.

However, Ms Lindsay Kinkuhaire, the APRAU vice chairperson, said in the same press conference yesterday that the proposals for legalising production would increase the availability of marijuana in the country and hence increase the use.

“The Parliament, in deliberating the bill, should take into account the disease burden of these substances on the country. As was the case in the previous law and in the current bill, marijuana [should] remains on the schedule of controlled substances and that its cultivation, production, trade and use remain illegal due to its negative effects on health and well-being of individuals, families and communities,” she said.

Ms Kinkuhaire said their Association has resolved that there should be a total ban on the cultivation, production, trade and use of khat as it “is of no medicinal or therapeutic value.”

“The ministry of health and the national drug authority [should] tighten regulatory mechanisms for certain controlled drugs such as pethidine, tramadol and other psychoactive medications which are currently easily accessible to the public despite their adverse effects,” she said.

She also appealed for decriminalisation and destigmatising of persons with substance use disorders, other additions and mental ill health,” to ease rehabilitation of affected persons.