A former electoral commissioner of Jamaica, Paul Christopher Burke, has said that ignorance and superstition surrounding cannabis must urgently be eliminated.
Burke is optimistic that legalising cannabis will inure to the benefit of Ghana considering its enormous medicinal value.
Speaking to Kwaku Nhyira-Addo on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Tuesday (16 May), Burke said: “The ignorance and superstition that surround cannabis must be killed. More focus should be placed on putting its science to the test.”
“The same way that liquor and alcohol can disorientate, so can cannabis. However, quite clearly that is only when taken-in to certain extents … medically, the positive effects is overwhelming.
“And for countries like Canada, where it has been legalised, there has not been any case which can be pointed that can back any argument against legalisation of cannabis,” Burke said.
Watch the full interview in the attached video clip below:
Destruction
Meanwhile, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has destroyed 50,000 kilogrammes (50 tonnes) of marijuana, worth GHC50 million, at the Bundase Military Camp in the Greater Accra Region.
The two-day destruction exercise, according to the commission, is in line with its mandate to “seize, investigate, and prosecute perpetrators, as well as destroy seized narcotic drugs” after following all legal procedures.
The commission is mandated to destroy seized narcotic drugs after conducting all necessary investigations.
A statement issued by NACOC said “the seizures mainly were made between 2021 and 2023 in the Volta Region and Eastern Region, where suspects escaped arrest while their trucks, vans, and cars were impounded at the commission’s headquarters in Accra.”
The statement said NACOC under normal circumstances “would have used an insinuator to destroy the cannabis, but due to the huge nature of the drugs,” the commission decided to resort to open-air destruction.
The commission further cautioned the general public, particularly drivers, who allow themselves to be used as couriers by smugglers, with or without their knowledge, that their vehicles used in the act will be seized.
Reporting by Fred Dzakpata in Accra
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