ABUJA – Vanguard Against Drug Abuse (VGADA), an NGO, has called on government at all levels to adopt adequate intervention and cooperation to stem the tide of drug abuse in the country.

The president of the organisation, Dr Hope Abraham, made the appeal on Wednesday in Abuja at a stakeholder’s conference to mark this year’s World Drug Day.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the conference was “Marijuana legalisation: The Nigerian Situation’’.

Abraham said the conference was to create an opportunity for the stakeholders to address trending situation of legalising marijuana in the country.

The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is a United Nations International Day against drug abuse and the illegal drug trade.

It is observed annually on June 26 since 1989. The observance was instituted by General Assembly Resolution 42/112 of Dec. 7, 1987.

Abraham said that several countries such as the U.S. and Canada had legalised marijuana, adding that it had been noted to be effective as a novel adjunct treatment for aliments including cancer, pain, poor appetite, nausea and epilepsy.

“The concept of marijuana legalisation in Nigeria has not been really stable because with the current status of no to illegal drugs in the country, it is still being grown and consumed in a very high quantity.

“You will agree with me that a lot has been trending on marijuana and its legalisation in the public space and social media.

“This has been a source of concern to most Nigerians considering the increase in awareness of its medical, economic and recreational use that has been significantly broached in foreign climes,” he said.

The president of the NGO said that legalising marijuana would be more beneficial to the society and urged government to take adequate measures towards curbing the prevalence of drug abuse among Nigerians, especially youths.

He, however, urged the public to also take responsibility at curbing the menace of drugs, saying that the public had a major part to play in ensuring a drug free society.

Dr Mike Omotosho, the Chief Oversight Officer of the Sustainable Healthcare International (SHI), described legalising marijuana in Nigeria as a very delicate issue that must be handled with caution.

Omotosho who was represented by his Executive Assistant, Mrs Victoria-Adeayo Olaitan, said the decision to legalise marijuana would be a collective decision to be discussed at a larger gathering.

He noted that more than 147 million people or 2.5 per cent of the world’s population consumes marijuana annually and in the present decade, cannabis abuse has grown more rapidly than cocaine and opiate abuse.

Omotosho said this consumption has been attributed to the fact that marijuana is cheaper and more readily available globally.

He lamented that Cannabis in Nigeria is illegal, yet the country is a major source of West African-grown cannabis, while UN Office on Drugs and Crime ranked Nigeria as the world’s third highest smoker of marijuana.

“Marijuana is widely grown across the states of Nigeria especially Ondo, Edo, Delta, Osun, Oyo and Ogun States.

“Marijuana Legalisation is a subject that has been broached, discussed, researched into in many countries and accepted in a few countries of the world.

“WHO stated that Cannabis is by far the most widely cultivated, trafficked and abused illicit drug and half of all drug seizures worldwide are cannabis seizures.

“The geographical spread of those seizures is also global, covering practically every country of the world.

He added that it would as well improve quality of life for individuals whose health conditions can be treated and managed by medical marijuana.

“Proponents against have stated that the consequences of marijuana abuse as is been seen in the country now despite its illegal status ranging from increased prevalence of social ills to preventable accidents and deaths, among others, will only worsen in the event that marijuana is legalised in the country, ” he warned.

The representative of UNODC Nigeria, Mr Oliver Stolpe, said that there was need for inclusive and accountable institutions of criminal justice, health and social services to work hand in hand to provide integrated drug balance solutions.

He said that the issue of marijuana legalisation should be considered within the international legal framework, the overall trends of the world drug epidemic as well as the specific country context.

He however renewed the commitment by the President Muhammadu Buhari to tackle the issue of drug use and the establishment of Presidential Advisory Committee On The Elimination Of Drug Abuse.

“I am confident that the country will build on and continue to employ a balanced approach to drug control,” said the UN official.