Afrigather Some members of the Home of Representatives clashed on Wednesday over a invoice looking for to legalise cultivation, sale and use of hashish, often known as marijuana, for industrial functions.
Two members of the Home, Benjamin Kalu and Olumide Osoba, had sponsored a recent invoice looking for to amend the Nationwide Drug Regulation Enforcement Company Act, to broaden the scope of the anti-narcotics company to problem licences for the cultivation, sale and use of marijuana.
The laws was titled, ‘A Invoice for an Act to Amend the Nationwide Drug Regulation Enforcement Company Act, Cap. N30, Legal guidelines of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Confer Further Accountability of the Energy to Grant and Revoke Licenses for the Cultivation of Hashish (or Any of Its Three Species, Specifically Hashish Sativa, Hashish Indicia and Hashish Ruderalis) Plant for Medicinal Functions; and for Associated Issues.’
The invoice is a consolidated model of Kalu and Osoba’s separate payments numbered HBs. 1190 & 1918.
Nonetheless, when the invoice was up for second studying on the plenary on Wednesday, one other member of the Home, Miriam Onuoha, protested that the content material of the invoice was identical with hers, which she sponsored way back.
The Speaker of the Home, Femi Gbajabiamila, in his ruling, requested each side to liaise with the Chairman of the Home Committee on Guidelines and Enterprise, Abubakar Fulata, to establish the variations and similarities between the payments forward of sitting on Thursday.
Hashish cultivation, sale and use are presently outlawed in Nigeria.
The PUNCH had reported on January 7, 2021, that the Home was, nonetheless, proposing legalisation of cultivation and buying and selling in hashish, often known as hemp or marijuana, for medical and beauty use, analysis functions in addition to income technology for Nigeria.
The Hashish Management Invoice, 2020, sponsored by Miriam Onuoha, is titled ‘A Invoice for an Act to Regulate the Cultivation, Possession, Availability and Commerce of Hashish for Medical and Analysis Use, and Associated Functions.’
If the invoice turns into regulation, hospitals and medical doctors might be allowed to prescribe doses of hashish for therapy of sufferers, whereas pharmacies and shops might be allowed to promote it.
Within the invoice, Onuoha mentioned, “Related companies might be empowered to “regulate the expansion and use of hashish; register hashish growers and customers; problem licences to hashish growers, processors producers, producers and customers; and develop consciousness programmes on the expansion and use of hashish.”
The companies additionally advise federal and state governments on issues regarding hashish growers, producers, producers and customers, whereas educating the plenty on the wholesome and unhealthy use of hashish in addition to enterprise analysis and coverage improvement on development and use of hashish.
