Mavin Records boss, Don Jazzy has revealed the reason he is advocating for weed to be legalized in Nigeria.
Don Jazzy has taken to his social media page to reveal
Over time, I’ve tried to wrap my head around the criminalization of Cannabis in the country and why we continue living in self-denial, letting our faux religious and moral sentiments to becloud our sense of advancement. #VoiceOfTheDon
Isn’t it laughable that health-edangering cigarettes are still legal in the same country where Cannabis is illegal? When exactly are we going to join the booming global cannabis industry and trade? #VoiceOfTheDon
Like I said some days ago, we have a lot, yet we complain a lot. We are so blessed with so many resources as a nation, but we are either intellectually lazy or not just ready to exploit the resources we have. #VoiceOfTheDon
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We always have one excuse or d other not to tap into other resources that aren’t crude oil. ust d same way our multi bn $ iron ore deposits were abandoned bcos of their garangue minerals content when we can actually improve their economic values thru beneficiation #VoiceOfTheDon
Cannabis, which contains hundreds of compounds(Cannabinoids) has a psychoactive compound called delta-9-tetrhydrocannabinol(delta9-THC.) THC is the lipid in cannabis which gives the high sensation noticable in the display of weed smokers. #VoiceOfTheDon
Should we now let that stop us from seeing other benefits of this plant? One of the most important cannabinoids found in Cannabis is Cannabidiol, which can be supplied as CBD oil. #VoiceOfTheDon
CBD, which is a non psychoactive compound in Cannabis cures varieties of health problems like migraines, seizures, nausea, psychosis, epilepsy inflammation, cancer e.t.c. #VoiceOfTheDon
This isn’t to say that THC doesn’t also have its positive effects which includes increased appetite, pain relief, sleeping aid e.t.c but abuse of it causes memory loss, coordination problems and it can also induce schizophrenia. #VoiceOfTheDon
How then do we separate the weed from the chaff? There are quite a number of ways THC can be extracted from Cannabis to form concentrates which can pass as medical marijuana. #VoiceOfTheDon
The best extraction method is done by adding CO2 liquid to d plant and allowing d constituents to separate under d right temperature and pressure. The successful separation of THC from Cannabis has allowed for medical use of marijuana in many countries overseas. #VoiceOfTheDon
From an economic stand point, I would advise the govt to see this as an opportunity for us to diversify our oil-dependent economy. Let’s imagine how much Nigerian states with arable lands can make as IGR on Cannabis exports if it is decriminalized. #VoiceOfTheDon
It won’t only help the economic development of the country, it will also create jobs for many Nigerian youths adding to 64,389 jobs the Cannabis industry created in 2018 as reported by Leafly and Whitney Economics. #VoiceOfTheDon
I think our criticism should be directed towards tobacco smoking. According to WHO, tobacco kills more than 7 million people worldwide each year. Tobacco Atlas has also estimated that over 10,000 Nigerians die every year from diseases related to tobacco smoking. #VoiceOfTheDon
In Nigeria, we spend 100s of bns annually on imported tobacco products and that can be very injurious to our economy in the long term. #VoiceOfTheDon
Cigarettes has also contributed to environmental pollution as it causes many non communicable diseases, increases carbon proliferation and hugely adds to toxic trash volume around the country. #VoiceOfTheDon
How can we achieve this legally? I might not be a student of law but I can at least give my opinion here. I think there are so many conflicting laws on Cannabis legislation. #VoiceOfTheDon
The Dangerous Drugs Act of 1935, the Indian Hemp Act of 1966 and the NDLEA & NAFDAC Acts amended in 2004 are very vague and need to be reviewed by the National Assembly. #VoiceOfTheDon
Maybe Drugs and Cannabis can be moved to the concurrent list in the constitution, so that state houses of assembly can legislate on them just like in the United states. #VoiceOfTheDon
Regulatory bodies can be established at the federal or state level to give licenses and rules to interested weed cultivators who should be made to adhere to enacted guidelines. #VoiceOfTheDon
With the global cannabis industry projection of about $200 bn earnings by 2030, it would be advisable for Nigeria to make hay while the Sun shines. #VoiceOfTheDon
Thanks 🙂