Chief Psychiatrist Kicks Against Marijuana Legalisation

Chief Psychiatrist of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Dr Kwasi Osei, has kicked against the legalisation of marijuana in the country.

According to him, calls for the legalisation of marijuana are not justified, and warned of a serious consequence should such proposal be accepted.

Dr Osei was responding to calls made by former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, and Executive Secretary of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), Mr Yaw Akrasi Sarpong, for the drug to be legalised in Ghana.

He said all countries that have legalised the narcotic substance had no option at the time such decisions or laws were passed because they had lost control on the war on marijuana.

Dr Kwasi Osei
It would be recalled that Mr Kofi Annan in an article last February urged countries to legalise marijuana as a way to combat the menace of drug abuse and illegal trafficking, arguing that “drugs are dangerous, but current narcotics policies are an even bigger threat because punishment is given a greater priority than health and human rights.”

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Mr Sarpong had also in 2014 proposed the legalisation of marijuana in Ghana considering that the drug is widely used in the country despite it being banned.

For him, 'virtual legalisation' was already in force in Ghana as the drug could be found in cosmetics and hair products used by women, and also smoked openly by many Ghanaians, including respected professionals.

But, Dr Osei disagreed with their arguments, saying they are not convincing enough for the country to legalise the drug.

“We cannot say that we have got to the point where we can throw our hands up and say we've lost the battle, therefore, let's legalise. We have not,” he indicated.

The chief psychiatrist said the discussion on legalisation of marijuana ought to be contextualised.

Ghana, he said, has not lost the war on marijuana, adding, “We (Ghanaians) have not lost control over the war on cannabi. Indeed, I keep saying we have not waged the war adequately or even probably not started yet.”

He mentioned that “those countries which have legalised, they are beginning to realise the effect on behaviour and some of them are wishing they had not started so we should learn from them and not start before we later regret.”

By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri