Otafiire throws weight behind cannabis, khat

“My colleagues in Kenya tell me they get $120m (Shs436b) from exporting miraa to Somalia,” Mr Otafiire disclosed, adding, “$120m is a quarter of what we get from coffee exports.” 

The committee—chaired by Mr Wilson Kajwengye (Nyabushyozi County)—is scrutinising the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Bill, 2023, which in its current form lists khat and marijuana among the prohibited substances.

“Miraa is not a banned substance by the international community; it is a tradeable substance,” he said of khat that is widely known as miraa in East Africa.

Mr Kajwengye queried the criteria the government will use to “tell people out there that this is good, this is bad.” 

On Thursday, officials from Butabika National Mental Referral Hospital, led by Dr Juliet Nakku, the executive director, roundly rejected the proposed legalisation of both marijuana and khat.

They argued that it can predispose those that consume either substance to mental illness.

Mr Kepher Kuchana, the director of Government Analytical Laboratories, listed the pros and cons of marijuana (cannabis).

He concluded that—on the balance of probabilities—it is better to legalise the substance for purely medicinal purposes by licensed and strictly supervised farmers.

“Cannabis is good for relaxation and stress relief, insecticidal and pesticidal activity due to cannabinoids and cannabioxepane; it is good as anti-malarial, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-epileptic and dermocosmetic activities,” he said.

However, he also discredited the plant.

“[It] temporarily impairs short-term memory, attention and cognitive function, particularly when consumed in higher doses; it affects coordination, balance, and reaction time, which may impair driving or operating machinery,” he said.

He added: “It also has potential mental health risks such as anxiety disorders and psychosis, particularly in individuals predisposed to these conditions,” he said.

The committee is handling the Bill following the annulment of a similar Act by the Constitutional Court, which admonished Parliament for passing the then Bill without the requisite quorum.

The committee retreats to write its report and present its findings to Parliament tentatively next week.