Prime
Narcotics Bill: We need more consultation
Mr Immanuel Ben Misagga is a football investor and businessman.
What you need to know:
...have you ever wondered whether nations in the Western legalize it or have soft laws on its usage?
I was one of the happiest people when the Constitutional Court recently nullified the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act of 2016. However, I was upset in the aftermath when the trending social media narrative was that the court found no problem with Ugandans growing and consuming substances such as khat (miraa) and marijuana (cannabis or njaga).
On the contrary, the court simply cited the lack of quorum in Parliament during the passing of the Bill. Much of the Act revolves around cannabis and for years, I have been lobbying to have law amended on scientific and commercial grounds.
There is no doubt we need the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act to control the cultivation, possession, trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. However, it is an open secret that illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances continues to flourish in the country.
It would be prudent to have the scientific and commercial input of entities such as the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council (UMDPC), National Drug Authority (NDA), Private Sector Foundation (PSF) and Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), among others.
The elephant in the room is that even when the Act was in force, its regulation and enforcement was only limited to the small-scale growers of cannabis and its traffickers while those in the business at a commercial level thrive. So, let us open our eyes to the reality that cannabis is a multi-billion business and there are several reasons why there is a need to legalize its consumption if it is in the form of medical marijuana.
A 2019 study by New Frontier Data, a global authority in data analytics and business intelligence on the global cannabis industry, found that Uganda has 2.6 million marijuana users and ranks among the top 10 nations on the continent. That alone is enough to show how the Act was ineffective.
I take note that the annulled Act provided some exceptions for possession of medical marijuana but not for cultivation. I also take note that in 2020, the Health ministry and NDA approved the export of cannabis for medicinal purposes.
I am not a medic but what all this means is that medical marijuana has been shown to be effective in treating a variety of medical conditions. So, by legalizing it, patients will have easy access to treatment that may help relieve their symptoms and improve their quality of life. Meanwhile, it is common knowledge among commercial cattle farmers that cannabis sativa is a proven and effective way of getting rid of ticks on cows. On that background, regulations on cannabis can have significant economic benefits instead of bowing to the common narrative of substance abuse and trafficking. It can create thousands of jobs in the growing and distribution of medical marijuana, as well as generate taxable revenue.
Granted, the biggest threat to legalising marijuana is substance abuse and trafficking but have you ever wondered whether nations in the Western legalize it or have soft laws on its usage?
So, I firmly believe that legalising cannabis can help to reduce the access of youth to the illegal cannabis market that we see in schools and slums.
In all, it is important to note that while the legalization of cannabis may have potential benefits, especially by creating jobs for youth, it is still important to prevent its use, as cannabis use can have negative effects on brains. It is important to continue to educate the population on the potential risks of cannabis use and provide support for those who may be struggling with substance abuse.
Mr Immanuel Ben Misagga is a businessman.
