Ghana Is Not Ready To Deal With Effects Of Marijuana

Diamond, Cocoa, Bauxite, Manganese, Oil Gas and almost every major natural resource is in our small country Ghana but all we need to be filthy rich is to legalise the use of marijuana.

This is the argument being advanced by those advocating for the legalising of marijuana because other nations are benefitting financially and we cannot sit aloof while others are 'mining this gold'. The question is, have we asked ourselves why it took most developed countries so long before legalising it's usage?

Do we have the right tools and systems to control this and also handle the repercussions resulting from its abuse?

How much progress have we made in terms of mental health, how prepared are we to fight all the security, social and mental health challenges that comes with it? Alcohol is still being sold to minors in the open, what have we been able to do about it?

The fact that US is legalising the use of marijuana does not mean Ghana is ready: how many mad men do you see walking on the streets of New York?

Only 11 States out of 50 have legalized its usage and the car crashes and accidents involving those high on marijuana is gone up by at least 6%. Has Ghana in place the personnel, medical facilities, psychologists, therapists, rehabilitation centers to deal with the obvious side effects of such legalization?

You'd argue that legalising marijuana doesn't mean people would be allowed to smoke it but deep down we know that it'd give more access to it.

In fact, the wee tea and the drink, popular known as arosto might even be more dangerous. I have seen the lives destroyed by marijuana, including a close friend who died to this addiction.

For what ever billions marijuana can give this nation, we will need perhaps twice to deal with it's vices.

But the few who stand to benefit are on a mission, they won’t draw our attention to the many mad men and criminals this herb has produced

What we to do is to find ways to maximize our benefits from the many resources we have been blessed with. If oil didn’t change our lives, carnabies wont

We seem more desperate to add on to our existing problems than solving those starring at us

Isaac Kyei Andoh