Members of the House of Representatives clashed on Wednesday over a bill seeking to legalise the cultivation, sale and use of cannabis for commercial purposes. Representatives Benjamin Kalu and Olumide Osoba had sponsored a fresh bill to amend the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, expanding the agency’s scope to issue licences for the cultivation, sale and use of marijuana. The legislation, 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,” consolidates Kalu and Osoba’s separate bills (HB 1190 and HB 1918).
When the bill reached its second reading in plenary, Representative Miriam Onuoha protested, claiming that its content duplicated the bill she had sponsored earlier. Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila ruled that both sides should liaise with the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Abubakar Fulata, to identify the differences and similarities between the bills before the next sitting on Thursday.
Cannabis cultivation, sale and use are currently outlawed in Nigeria. On January 7, 2021, the House reported that it was proposing legalisation of cannabis—also known as hemp or marijuana—for medical and cosmetic use, research purposes, and revenue generation. The Cannabis Control Bill 2020, sponsored by Onuoha, is titled “A Bill for an Act to Regulate the Cultivation, Possession, Availability and Trade of Cannabis for Medical and Research Use, and Related Purposes.” If enacted, hospitals and doctors would be permitted to prescribe cannabis to patients, while pharmacies and stores could sell it.
Onuoha’s bill empowers relevant agencies to regulate the growth and use of cannabis, register growers and users, issue licences to growers, processors, producers, manufacturers and users, and develop awareness programmes on cannabis cultivation and consumption. These agencies would also advise federal and state governments on matters concerning cannabis stakeholders, educate the public on its healthy and unhealthy uses, and undertake research and policy development related to cannabis.
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