Is the Indian Hemp Act dead in Nigeria?
Arguments about the usefulness, effectiveness or existence of the Indian Hemp Act could become irrelevant in Nigerian society if the bill before the House of Representatives to legalize the cultivation and the use of cannabis for recreational and medicinal purposes is re-examined and evolves through. YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE in this piece explores the basics of the law that criminalizes cannabis in Nigeria and why it seems ineffective.
As Nigeria continues to groan under the pandemic of drug use and trafficking; especially the blatant use of cannabis sativa, popularly known as Indian hemp in disobedience to the Indian hemp law, many have continued to wonder if the law only exists on paper and is a dead letter law.
And while the effectiveness of these is still debated, another argument has arisen as many people have continuously called for the legalization of Indian hemp based on the events in some countries like Canada, the United States. United States of America and the Netherlands.< /p>
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The call for official support came recently when a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives to legalize the cultivation and use of cannabis for recreational and medicinal purposes.
The bill was co-sponsored by Marian Onuha, Ben Kalu and Olumide Osoba and was intended to give the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) the power to regulate the growth and consumption of cannabis. However, during debate, the bill was opposed by several members of the House on the grounds that cannabis is addictive and it was withdrawn following huge opposition from several MPs.
Additionally, in 2019, Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu proposed the legalization of cannabis cultivation in the state for medical purposes. He repeated the call in 2020.
This development, however, has spread the call for the legalization of hemp cultivation and if the bill is reconsidered by lawmakers and passed, cannabis consumption could become legal in Nigeria and the Hemp Law Indian will become obsolete. However, at present, hemp is illegal in Nigeria and failure to comply with this law carries huge penalties.
Use of Indian hemp in Nigeria
In Nigeria, the use of cannabis sativa, also known by other names like Indian hemp, weed, igbo or ganja, is common place regardless of restrictive regulations and it is even celebrated socially even in the entertainment industry where there are a lot of songs about weed and other drugs set to party tones and music videos of people smoking weed. And this is not a new phenomenon in the music industry; it was a fad for decades.
People now openly smoke cannabis as a form of recreation, making it a socially acceptable recreational drug in Nigeria, despite the law.
A 2018 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) confirmed this when it ranked Nigeria among the world's highest cannabis users, revealing that marijuana was the most widely abused "drug" in Nigeria, as it was consumed by an estimated 10.8% of the population at the time.
This translates to 10.6 million Nigerians who, in one way or another, have indulged in cannabis use.
Wikipedia reiterated this when it reported that cannabis in Nigeria is illegal, but the country is a major source of cannabis grown in West Africa as it is widely grown in states of the federation, including Ondo State, Edo State and the Delta. State, Osun State, Oyo State and Ogun State.
Indian Hemp Act
The law was enacted on March 31, 1966 and has undergone many changes over the years. The Indian Hemp Decree or the Indian Hemp Act was enacted in Nigeria by Major General Aguiyi Ironsi; it was preceded by the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance of 1935, which restricted opium and other drugs.
The Indian Hemp Act provides for making it an offense to plant, cultivate and import Indian hemp and make provision for other related matters.
In law, Indian hemp means: any plant or part of a plant of the genus Cannabis, the separate resin, raw or purified, obtained from any plant of the genus Cannabis and any preparation containing such resin by which whatever the name of this plant, part, resin or preparation.
The law provides that any person who knowingly plants or cultivates a plant of the cannabis genus is guilty of an offense and liable, if convicted, to the death penalty or imprisonment for at least under twenty-one years of age and anyone found guilty of illegally importing or selling Indian hemp shall, if convicted, be liable to imprisonment...
Arguments about the usefulness, effectiveness or existence of the Indian Hemp Act could become irrelevant in Nigerian society if the bill before the House of Representatives to legalize the cultivation and the use of cannabis for recreational and medicinal purposes is re-examined and evolves through. YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE in this piece explores the basics of the law that criminalizes cannabis in Nigeria and why it seems ineffective.
As Nigeria continues to groan under the pandemic of drug use and trafficking; especially the blatant use of cannabis sativa, popularly known as Indian hemp in disobedience to the Indian hemp law, many have continued to wonder if the law only exists on paper and is a dead letter law.
And while the effectiveness of these is still debated, another argument has arisen as many people have continuously called for the legalization of Indian hemp based on the events in some countries like Canada, the United States. United States of America and the Netherlands.< /p>
Similar Items
The call for official support came recently when a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives to legalize the cultivation and use of cannabis for recreational and medicinal purposes.
The bill was co-sponsored by Marian Onuha, Ben Kalu and Olumide Osoba and was intended to give the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) the power to regulate the growth and consumption of cannabis. However, during debate, the bill was opposed by several members of the House on the grounds that cannabis is addictive and it was withdrawn following huge opposition from several MPs.
Additionally, in 2019, Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu proposed the legalization of cannabis cultivation in the state for medical purposes. He repeated the call in 2020.
This development, however, has spread the call for the legalization of hemp cultivation and if the bill is reconsidered by lawmakers and passed, cannabis consumption could become legal in Nigeria and the Hemp Law Indian will become obsolete. However, at present, hemp is illegal in Nigeria and failure to comply with this law carries huge penalties.
Use of Indian hemp in Nigeria
In Nigeria, the use of cannabis sativa, also known by other names like Indian hemp, weed, igbo or ganja, is common place regardless of restrictive regulations and it is even celebrated socially even in the entertainment industry where there are a lot of songs about weed and other drugs set to party tones and music videos of people smoking weed. And this is not a new phenomenon in the music industry; it was a fad for decades.
People now openly smoke cannabis as a form of recreation, making it a socially acceptable recreational drug in Nigeria, despite the law.
A 2018 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) confirmed this when it ranked Nigeria among the world's highest cannabis users, revealing that marijuana was the most widely abused "drug" in Nigeria, as it was consumed by an estimated 10.8% of the population at the time.
This translates to 10.6 million Nigerians who, in one way or another, have indulged in cannabis use.
Wikipedia reiterated this when it reported that cannabis in Nigeria is illegal, but the country is a major source of cannabis grown in West Africa as it is widely grown in states of the federation, including Ondo State, Edo State and the Delta. State, Osun State, Oyo State and Ogun State.
Indian Hemp Act
The law was enacted on March 31, 1966 and has undergone many changes over the years. The Indian Hemp Decree or the Indian Hemp Act was enacted in Nigeria by Major General Aguiyi Ironsi; it was preceded by the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance of 1935, which restricted opium and other drugs.
The Indian Hemp Act provides for making it an offense to plant, cultivate and import Indian hemp and make provision for other related matters.
In law, Indian hemp means: any plant or part of a plant of the genus Cannabis, the separate resin, raw or purified, obtained from any plant of the genus Cannabis and any preparation containing such resin by which whatever the name of this plant, part, resin or preparation.
The law provides that any person who knowingly plants or cultivates a plant of the cannabis genus is guilty of an offense and liable, if convicted, to the death penalty or imprisonment for at least under twenty-one years of age and anyone found guilty of illegally importing or selling Indian hemp shall, if convicted, be liable to imprisonment...
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