Several members of the House of Representatives battled on Wednesday over a measure proposing to legalise the production, sale and use of cannabis, popularly known as marijuana, for business reasons.
Two members of the House, Benjamin Kalu and Olumide Osoba, have introduced a new measure aiming to modify the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, to extend the jurisdiction of the anti-narcotics agency to grant licences for the production, sale and use of marijuana
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The legislation was titled, ‘A Bill for an Act to Amend the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Confer Additional Responsibility of the Power to Grant and Revoke Licenses for the Cultivation of Cannabis (or Any of Its Three Species, Namely Cannabis Sativa, Cannabis Indicia and Cannabis Ruderalis) Plant for Medicinal Purposes; and for Related Matters.’
The bill is a merged version of Kalu and Osoba’s legislation marked HBs. 1190 & 1918.
Nevertheless, when the measure went up for second reading at the plenary on Wednesday, another member of the House, Miriam Onuoha, objected that the text of the bill was identical to hers, which she sponsored long ago.
The Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, in his judgment, ordered both parties to engage with the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Abubakar Fulata, to identify the differences and similarities between the bills ahead of sitting on Thursday.
Cannabis production, sale and usage are currently prohibited in Nigeria.
It was reported earlier on that the House was, however, considering the legalisation of production and commerce of cannabis, commonly known as hemp or marijuana, for medicinal and cosmetic use, research reasons as well as income generating for Nigeria.
The Cannabis Regulation Bill, 2020, introduced by Miriam Onuoha, is titled ‘A Bill for an Act to Regulate the Production, Possession, Availability and Trade of Cannabis for Medicinal and Research Use, and Related Purposes.’
If the bill becomes law, hospitals and physicians would be authorized to prescribe amounts of cannabis for the treatment of patients, while pharmacies and retailers will be allowed to sell it.
Under the bill, Onuoha added, “Relevant authorities would be authorized to “regulate the cultivation and use of cannabis; register cannabis growers and users; grant licences to cannabis growers, processors producers, manufacturers and users; and establish awareness campaigns on the growing and use of cannabis.”
The agencies also advise federal and state governments on topics dealing with cannabis growers, producers, manufacturers and users, while educating the masses on the healthy and harmful use of cannabis as well as doing research and policy development on growing and use of cannabis.
