Some Lagos-based lawyers have called for a review of the government’s approach to destroying illicit cannabis plantations, arguing that alternative measures could help curb illegal cultivation while allowing for the plant’s potential legitimate uses.
The lawyers, who spoke separately with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos, said confiscated cannabis farms could be considered for alternative agricultural or pharmaceutical purposes under strict regulation.
They also advocated stronger public awareness, support for affected farmers and job creation as measures to reduce drug abuse and illicit cultivation.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, is empowered by law to seize and destroy illicit cannabis plantations as part of efforts to prevent the cultivation and circulation of prohibited drugs.
Mr Chris Ayiyi, Principal Partner of Ayiyi Chambers, Apapa, said cannabis cultivation could have legitimate economic applications, noting that scientific research had established various uses for the plant.
He said the major concern should be the abuse of cannabis rather than the plant itself, adding that the destruction of plantations might not, on its own, effectively address drug abuse.
Ayiyi suggested that the law should be reviewed to explore alternative ways of regulating cannabis cultivation while preventing its illicit use. He urged the NDLEA to strengthen efforts to prevent the circulation of illicit drugs.
The lawyer also called for increased public awareness of the harmful effects of drug abuse and greater awareness of the penalties for drug-related offences.
Similarly, Mr Chibuikem Opara of Justification Chambers, Ikeja, said the wholesale destruction of cannabis plantations might not be in the interest of the government or other stakeholders.
Opara suggested that confiscated plantations could instead be converted to alternative agricultural uses, citing approaches adopted in some South American countries, including Colombia and Brazil.
“My opinion is that instead of cutting the head with the neck, the confiscated plants may be channelled to better pharmaceutical use but under strict supervision,” he said.
Opara, however, stressed that any consideration of confiscated cannabis for pharmaceutical purposes would require strict supervision to prevent diversion and illicit use.
He said such an approach could help prevent abuse while allowing legitimate applications of the plant to be explored.
Also speaking, a former NDLEA operative, Chief Benson Ndakara, said the destruction of illicit cannabis plantations remained an effective approach to drug control.
Ndakara said although the destruction of drug plantations was aimed at keeping illegal drugs out of circulation, cultivation could continue without appropriate legal provisions for regulated alternatives.
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“In England, for example, it is not so; their law permits them to extract cannabis oil for human use, while the harmful aspects of the plant are destroyed or prevented from being used.
“During my visit to London, I saw it myself. Sadly, however, we do not have that technology yet in Nigeria,” he said.
Mrs Vivian Ekwegh, a Lagos-based lawyer who litigates drug-related offences, said the government should provide financial support to illicit cannabis growers to enable them to transition to legitimate farming.
She said destroying plantations without providing alternative sources of livelihood could worsen the hardship faced by affected farmers.
“I think government should consider alternative measures by empowering, encouraging and supporting cannabis farmers to go into other types of farming with their farmlands rather than destroying their farms and seizing their lands.
“This is because people tend to be recalcitrant when they have no other means of survival, so, government can give them grant and support to cultivate other crops,” she said.
Ekwegh noted that cannabis cultivation was legal in some countries, adding that Nigeria could potentially generate revenue from regulated cultivation and exports if the law were amended.
“Canada has beer which is made from cannabis. Nigeria can also make a lot of money through the cultivation of cannabis for exports,” she said.
She acknowledged, however, that the government had not legalized cannabis cultivation because of concerns that citizens could abuse such a policy without strict regulation.
Another Lagos-based lawyer, Mrs Elizabeth Chiozor, emphasized the need for the government to create more employment opportunities, particularly for young people.
“For me, a most tactical approach in combating illicit drug plants is for government to create more job openings to keep the youths lawfully engaged.
“If you check around, it is easy to observe that many of our youth are addicted to harmful drugs, and more worrisome is that they even know how and where to cultivate it.
“Once they are productively occupied in their respective fields of employment, it simply becomes inconvenient for them doing drugs,” she said.
While supporting the destruction of illegal drug plantations, Chiozor said the measure could discourage people planning to engage in illicit cultivation.
