Gov Akeredolu reiterates call for Cannabis Use in Nigeria at ACPN Conference

Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu

Report by: Joseph Ebirim\

The Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu has reiterated his call for the controlled cultivation of Indian hemp and adaptation for use in medicine in Nigeria.

Speaking at Abeokuta, at the ongoing annual conference of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), tagged GATEWAY 2021, Gov. Akeredolu charged pharmacists in Nigeria to conduct an in-depth research into the various uses of Indian hemp, scientifically known as Cannabis sativa, for medicinal purposes. He hinted that the cultivation of Indian Hemp was not strange and added that it was already successfully practiced in Thailand and can be replicated in Nigeria.

He added that, “In Ogbese, a community in Ondo State, it is possible to have a farm where the enforcement agency, NDLEA will be in charge to ensure that nobody takes out the substance to smoke but will only be exported to the pharmaceutical industry for formulation as therapeutic agents. He charged pharmacists to give the research into cultivation and use of Cannabis the same attention being given to herbs stressing that it will impact positively on the economy of the nation.

He emphasized his administration's readiness to champion the cultivation of hemp which he described as the 'green oil' just the way his administration is championing the red oil (palm) project.

It is pertinent to note that Gov Rotimi Akeredolu has been at the forefront of the advocacy for the legalization of Cannabis in Nigeria describing it as a potential foreign exchange earner for the country, a move which the National Assembly is reported to have shown support for but a position vehemently opposed to by the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).