Nacada, police bosses warn about bhang talk in campaigns
Nacada CEO Victor Okioma, board chairperson Mabel Imbuga and director Faridah Rashid at a past event in Mombasa.
The anti-drug abuse agency Nacada and security agencies have censured politicians campaigning on the platform of legalising the growing and consumption of marijuana.
Officials warned that usage of the drug had increased since campaigns popularising it started.
Nacada CEO Victor Okioma said the narcotic drug was responsible for runaway cases of mental ailments and that legalising it would harm Kenyans.
He spoke in Meru during a meeting with Central, North Eastern and Eastern regional police bosses seeking to end rampant trafficking of marijuana from Ethiopia.
The officials said the bhang variety from Shashamane in Ethiopia was particularly popular among the youth.
The officials noted that politics around bhang had propelled Roots Party of Kenya leader George Wajackoyah into the limelight, and had endeared him to many young voters.
Prof Wajackoyah has promised to promote bhang as a medicinal plant and for commercial use if elected President in the August 9 General Election.
Central Regional Commissioner Esther Maina said bhang smoking in her area, the gateway to Nairobi, had increased since campaigns popularising the drug started.
She said she had accelerated surveillance to stem the entry of drugs into the area and talks at schools, churches and other forums to sensitise the youth against drug use.
Mr Okioma also lamented that drug dealers had adopted innovative ways to beat detection by security agencies, including selling drugs to schoolchildren disguised as confectionery.
Though the idea of legalising and monetising marijuana sounded good, he warned, countries that had embraced it without a clear plan on how to control it had many addicts.
He said those calling for legalising and growing marijuana should say how they plan to deal with addiction as the drug was one of the most abused in Kenya.
Mr Okioma said countries in South America that had started growing bhang for pharmaceuticals industries had lost the war because of diversion to consumption by locals.
“I want to warn Kenyans that this is a game that can turn out to be very dangerous for the country,” he said.
“Cannabis is a harmful substance and should never be used for recreation, unless there are tight controls on production to avoid diversion and there are direct contracts with the pharmaceuticals.”
