THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com
Sunday, April 6,
21
NEWSFEATURE
The Other Side Of Marijuana (Cannabis) By Wole Oyebade OOLCHAP Olatunji, scribe of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria added that marijuana could also be prepared as a tea and the medicinal extract is used. Cannabis tea is made by first adding a saturated fat to hot water with a small amount of cannabis. Marijuana vending machines for selling or dispensing cannabis extracts are in use in the United States and planned to be used in Canada. It could also be used as cream. “Today, we have several cream products labeled with Indian hemp, as vitality for hair growth,” Olatunji said. He added that marijuana’s narcotic effect has made it something that should not be freely used by anyone, unless it is prescribed. This is the case all over the world, not just Nigeria.” Both the leaf and the seed of the much controversial herb could also be a vaporizer or burn, which heats the Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient, until it becomes a vapor, allowing it to be inhaled. It causes the same narcotic effect on the nervous system. Vaporising is often the recommended method for inhaling medical marijuana to minimise harmful elements associated with smoking. Besides, cannabis seeds can be used as a grain or nut. The seeds can also be pressed to get hemp seed oil, which is well balanced in
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Omega3 and Omega6 fatty acids. Olatunji explains that marijuana is classified as narcotic analgesic, in the class of morphine and cocaine, “which relieve the pains of very serious conditions like cancer.” On why marijuana is still a no-no in local medical practices, Olatunji said it is for reasons not unconnected with poor medical research, especially in the field of herbal medicine. Continuing, he said: “We are not yet advanced in medical sciences like the Americans and some parts of Asia. That is why our understanding of the herb is limited to some people growing it illegally and miscreants using it just anyhow. “It is now NDLEA is trying to control its planting, but there is very little we can boast of in terms of research. It is good to bring it under control, but more beneficial if we know the more positive ways it can be used.” He added that there is need to make medical and herbal research popular, especially given the abundance of medicinal plants. “Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime promoted integration between orthodox and alternative (including herbal) medicine. Current administration has not done anything like that, except for a state like Lagos that already has traditional medicine board and they are working,” he said. Bundles of marijuana seized from traffickers
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With The Loose Legal Infrastructure Available, More People Would Have Access To It — Elemo
of the home countries in which they were manufactured. They include CT-3 (ajulemic acid) for the treatment of spasticity and neuropathic pain in MS patients; anti-inflammatory properties may help relieve pain from arthritis; Cannabinor, anti-inflammatory agent and used in treatment of chronic pain with an emphasis on neuropathic (nerve) pain; also for bladder control; HU 308 (licensed from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem) for treatment of hypertension and as anti-inflammatory. There is also Rimonabant/Acomplia for anti-obesity (an appetite reducer) among others. Are nations tactically backing out of enforcement? Latching on the inherent and enhanced properties in the plant, which may add more to the list of prescription drugs and perhaps, what has been the astronomical cost of enforcement of ban on use of marijuana, nations are gradually relaxing the laws. South Africa While it may not really be a snowball effect yet for the adoption of public sales of medical marijuana, countries like South Africa is considering a bill to legalise it. Even presently, people abuse alcohol in Nigeria, believing ‘sorA member of the country’s parliament, Mario Orianirow’ can be drowned in drinks only to find that those challenges Ambrosini, who is suffering from cancer put the bill up for still stare them in the face when the effect wears off. consideration urging the house to support it. He said it would help patients like him suffering from the life-threatening ailITH the loose legal infrastructure available, more people ment to douse the usually terrible pains that accompany the would have access to the drug. medical condition. Elemo recalled that some of his students, at a time were abusing the laboratory grade alcohol, which is about 98 per cent pure. ABAJIDE ELEMO, professor of Biochemistry of the Lagos State According to him, students tempered the power 50/50 to bring University, Ojo, Lagos observed that marijuana has been in it to the level of something like ‘schnapp’ in order to consume it use for thousands of years for medical purposes, but there is but to halt this tendency, it had to be dosed with a tincture of phenot ample empirical evidence or data to back up the efficacy of nolphthalein, a laboratory chemical indicator, which can render the drug. the human liver useless in a week, to colour it. This was a ploy to But of the abuse, he said, “It is the general malaise that is discourage them as addiction was knocking at the door for these afflicting the human race. We are fast losing our humanism students if they were not checked. even with issue of homosexuality. Even in the U.S, where relaMedical marijuana, he said have excipients or extract from the tively speaking, there is freedom, it is only in a few states that plant, and when put in bottle, it is even easier to abuse, because it there is backing of medical marijuana.” would not smell like the one people smoke. Elemo argued marijuana is one of the strong addictive subElemo argued that societies that advocate legalisation of medical stances, that is why there is a lot of caution about it. “You don’t want to treat a patient, who is suffering the side effect of chemotherapy from cancer treatment, and then up with, perhaps 20 more people, who become addicted to cannabis (marijuana) because of accessibility.” A country like Nigeria, with the level of our economy and development should not even contemplate legalising it, Elemo said. Ordinarily, the spirit of the average Nigerian, in the midst of hardship, is still waxing strong. This may be the reason there was a report some time ago that Nigerians are ‘the happiest people’ on earth. With this hindsight, Nigerians do not need more ‘highs’ from usage of cannabis. “If we don’t have the problem of drugs and we are killing ourselves by the hundreds, what will happen when marijuana is legalised.” He agrees that the clamour for the legalisation is not a new phenomenon and people have agitated for it in the past. However, he does not think Nigeria is ripe for it, not even under the cloak of medical or recreational marijuana.
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…Addictive like morphine He narrated that when he had a bone surgery here in Nigeria, the ache was indescribable, extremely excruciating that jabs were occasionally given to kill the pain. The sweet relief lasted for only about one hour after which the pains returned. Asking for more jabs became a regular request but he was told that the instruction is to have it (morphine) twice in three days. That steady request was a route to addiction. “It is a fantastic pain reliever but very addictive and ordinarily, people tend to abuse the use,” he admitted. He was not given more doses because the doctors did not want a case of being dependent on the drug. And he thinks many will heavily abuse marijuana if it is made freely available in whatever guise.
Impounded marijuana being set on fire by drug law agents
marijuana are most likely those also involved in the push for gay rights/same sex marriage or they are reactionary to those who say no to gay marriage. ‘We are fast losing our humanism,’ he emphasised. On whether the US is getting weary of the huge cost of enforcing the prohibition, Elemo does not hold that perspective. Perhaps, the approach, he thinks could be that the US government or other European countries took the stance to see if people would relax the crave for it. The illegal business and drug money behind dope deals would likely lose the fire since the channels would be more open and banks, like US President, Barack Obama announced recently, would be encouraged to do business with outlets of either medical or social marijuana. Social scientists say the average person wants to hit out at something when depressed; and economic frustration lead to abuse of rights, persons, and substances regarded as psychotropic and dangerous. The biochemistry academic however, thinks ‘medical marijuana’ is a coinage to allow it to be accessible to more people. Analysts postulate that the consequences of abuse could be well managed by the developed nations, where facilities for rehabilitation are available. The reverse is likely the case in many developing nations like Nigeria. In consonance with the opinion expressed by Prof. Elemo, the Deputy Police Commissioner-medic, Akhiwu said the economic benefits aside, there are consequences, but is Nigeria ready for it? This is because there would be spike in psychiatric cases when it is liberalised, he argued. Though it is found useful in the treatment of some medical conditions, he clarifies that medical cannabis is not for everybody to get as an off-the-counter (OTC) drug, where available. It is principally going to be prescription item even if government legislates in the favour of its usage. On cost of enforcement of the ban, it may be that it has been left to the discretion of the users like has been done on cigarette used at their own risk. In any care, regulatory authorities in countries where governments have given a go-ahead would still make money from it.