Legalization, Control & Commercialization Of Cannabis Will Do More That E-Levy Failed To Do

In 2016, I was surprised when the former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan(late), called for the legalization and decriminalization of cannabis with regulations in place for control and commercialization. Former President J.A. Kufour had shared similar opinion before (I stand to be corrected). Largely, people who advocate for the legalization of cannabis are stereotyped as deviants, riff- raffs and considered users. But appeal by these honorable men was an eye opener, an indication that things aren't exactly how we have been seeing them.

Ghana has taken one major step, decriminalizing the use of cannabis for health and industrial purposes. Parliament passed the Narcotics Control Commission Bill, 2019. The law also makes the country's Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) a Commission with enhanced powers to oversee the industrial use of some narcotic substances.

The value of the Cannabis market for the year 2020 according to Fortune Business Insights was USD 20.47 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 197.74 billion by 2028.

The South African cannabis sector is presently worth R28 Billion /$1,736,272,720.00. Few years after

recreational use of cannabis became legal in 2018, it is having proven to be a game changer.

Cannabis refers to all products derived from the plant Cannabis sativa. Marijuana refers to parts of or products from the plant Cannabis sativa that contain substantial amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol.

Origin

It is documented that the usage of cannabis dates back to 7,000 B.C. and was used by the ancient Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans.

Differing views have its that cannabis came to Africa at least 1,000 years ago, to Madagascar from South Asia. Ghana has more than a school of thought. One says cannabis was brought by troops from India and Burma after the World War 2. Another states, it is from Sierra Leonean sailors. Some historians have also theorized that Napoleon's troops brought marijuana to Europe in 1804.

It is not clear how it got to North America from Asia, but cannabis had been in existence in America as medicine for so long.

It was essentially used for the "sheets" in sailing ships, hemp canvas covered wagons. Levi Strauss made Levi Jeans out of old canvas sails. The two drafts of the Declaration of Independence in U.S.A. were written on hemp paper.

However, marijuana use became widespread after alcohol was banned during the Prohibition Era (1920 - 1933), becoming a recreational drug and a drug of choice. The word "Marihuana" itself is thought to have been a slang from Spanish speaking migrant laborers who worked in the Southwestern United States before the Great Depression.

They brought marijuana across the U.S. - Mexico border in the early 1900's when they came seeking work. After alcohol was made legal again, marijuana use sharply declined.

Illegalization of Marijuana

The Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN) was established in 1930 and headed by Harry Anslinger from its inception for the next 32 years. He had earlier made an assertion on record that cannabis use was not such a big deal. His position shifted after his appointment. Ambitious Harry wanted to wage a war on drugs, but cocaine and heroin were the only outlawed drugs then since 1914. Moreover, they were used by a small minority. Marijuana was highly patronised.

Harry with the FBN strategized. Using fear, themes of violence and prejudice, false claims they kept demonizing marijuana.

Anslinger first claim was marijuana causes psychosis and eventually insanity. In a radio address, he stated young people are “slaves to this narcotic, continuing addiction until they deteriorate mentally, become insane, turn to violent crime and murder.”

The assistance of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, and few newspaper stories from the 1920's talking about deranged or violent episodes after marijuana use, the FBN Boss step up the the propaganda campaign to make marijuana illegal at the federal level.

Advertisements ran in theaters and newspapers around the country warning of the evils and dangers of its use: "Beware! Young and Old - People in All Walks of Life! It contains the Killer Drug "Marijuana" - a powerful narcotic in which lurks Murder! Insanity! Death!" Marijuana was repeatedly referred to as "The Devil's Harvest" or "Devil's Weed. "The billboards and movie posters from this era speak louder than words.

A movie titled "Reefer Madness" was released in 1936 financed by the American government. It showed questionable 'evidence' of how the lives of four high school students, lured to use marijuana by a drug peddler, went out of control. It also had a hit and run accident, suicide, homicide, rape, and the rapid descent of marijuana users into madness. The so called 'evidence' in Reefer Madness was later proven to be utterly false but it worked in favor of Harry.

He found the story of a certain Victor Licata useful. Victor committed a parricide, hacking his family to death with an axe. He was rumored to have been high on marijuana. After several years, it turned out to be a false claim, however Victor Licata had a history of mental illness.

Harry equally engaged 30 scientists for scientific evidence on how dangerous marijuana is.29 told him it wasn't a dangerous drug, yet he decided to use the theory of the only scientist that said it was dangerous. Hè finally made a presentation to the public that it should be banned.

He was a racist as well and had a second underlining strategy.

He claimed that black people and Latinos were the primary users of marijuana, and it made them forget their place in the fabric of American society. "He claims that cannabis promotes interracial mixing, interracial relationships.”

A series of raids were conducted in the big cities like New York aimed at crippling the narcotics traffic. Soon the nationwide attitude towards Marijuana became unfavorable. His efforts and his influence was vital in the introduction and passage of the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, which outlawed possessing or selling marijuana/pot.

Ban in Africa

Some history books mention that marijuana considered a "noxious weed" in 1891, the Cape Colony prohibited cannabis under Act 34, and the Free State outlawed dealing in a cannabis in 1903.

The 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which consolidated all previous treaties relating to narcotics control and established a mechanism for coordinates international control of narcotic drugs, endorsed this prohibition. The convention established strict controls on the cultivation of opium poppy, coca bush (used to produce cocaine), and cannabis plant and their products, which were collectively described as “narcotic drugs”. All West African countries are parties to the 1961 Convention.

This position – the total elimination or criminalization of all recreational uses of narcotic drugs in the world – was emphasized by the United Nations General Assembly Special Session, or UNGASS, at a meeting of UN member states to assess the world’s drug control priorities in 1998.

New Direction

The landmark 2011 report of the Global Commission on Drug Policy had the conclusion that after many years of trying it has seen how expensive and demanding the war against drug is. The imposition of legal regimes of punishment of drug users and dealers, as well as the use of armed or unarmed state security agents to destroy narcotic crops in producing countries and to intercept trafficked substances, have neither prevented the availability of the drugs, nor curbed their use anywhere.

Conclusion

Ghana can emulate the steps of Morocco, Lesotho, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In Rwanda, medical cannabis was legalized in 2021, and the government dedicated 134 hectares to cannabis production. Since the law decriminalizing Cannabis in Ghana has been passed, government should fast track efforts, putting in place the necessary measures so that cannabis can be legalized and produced commercially.

Research has shown that alcohol creates more damage to the brain and body, but it is legal in Ghana. If cigarette, known to cause cancer is still legal, then we need to reconsider our posture on cannabis.

This is a billion-dollar industry and will breathe life into our economy. The challenge and possibility of abuse can be easily mitigated with innovative control measure. We just need to have a national dialogue; consult think tanks and duplicate the successful approach used by other countries around the world. Legalization, Control and Commercialization of Cannabis will do more than E-Levy failed to do. Long live mother Ghana.

Dumenu Charles Selorm