I Didn’t Travel To Thailand To Learn How To Grow Cannabis, NDLEA Boss
The chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Muhammad Abdallah, has debunked reports that he travelled to Thailand to learn how to grow cannabis.
The NDLEA boss, it could be recalled, had recently travelled to Thailand with Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, for a programme on medicinal cannabis extract development.
Akeredolu in Thailand for Medicinal Canabis Extract Development Program
Arakunrin @RotimiAkeredolu, SAN, has joined the Chairman of the @ndlea_nigeria, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah rtd. on a visit to Thailand for a Program on Medicinal Canabis Extract Development #DevelopOndo pic.twitter.com/Q2mD4zlNlC
— Ondo State APC (@Ondo_APC) May 13, 2019
The Ondo State government and the NDLEA are using the visit to access Thailand materials and best practises with the possibility of replicating them in Nigeria.
Governor Akeredolu appreciated the Thai govt. and said Ondo State is known as the LARGEST in the planting of cannabis. pic.twitter.com/Kfv1GKpAhj
— Ondo State APC (@Ondo_APC) May 13, 2019
While shedding light on the trip, Akeredolu had said that Nigeria would be shortchanging itself by not tapping into the economic value of cannabis, also known as Indian hemp or marijuana, a banned substance in the country.
We all know that Ondo State is the hot bed of cannabis cultivation in Nigeria. We know how to grow it and it thrives well in the Sunshine State. With an estimated value of $145 Billion in 2025, we would be shortchanging ourselves if we failed t tap into the Legal Marijuana Market https://t.co/qUtER7gUtI
— Arakunrin Akeredolu (@RotimiAkeredolu) May 14, 2019
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He said growing the plant, under the supervision of the NDLEA, would create thousands of jobs for Nigerians if seriously considered by the Federal Government.
However, the NDLEA boss, Abdallah, on Monday, in a statement signed, he said he was in Thailand for a completely different reason and that was unconnected to the commercial, medicinal, or monetary value of cannabis.
He said, “My attention has been drawn to the misinformation that the Ondo State Governor and I were in the Republic of Thailand to learn how to grow cannabis sativa for medicinal purpose or economic gain.
“This is far from the truth. At no point did I make any remark in favour of the commercial and medicinal value or monetary gain of cannabis.
“The purpose of the visit to Thailand is to understudy how the country has successfully migrated some of her citizens hitherto engaged in illicit plant cultivation to the cultivation of legitimate economic crops and other lawful businesses.
“The NDLEA under my leadership has been consistent in our opposition to legalisation and decriminalisation of cannabis.
“For example, Operation Thunderstorm undertaken by the Ondo State Command of the NDLEA destroyed 3,900.73 hectares of cannabis sativa planted in forest reserves.”
It should be noted, however, that the programme Abdallah attended with Akeredolu concerned building capacity and researching the modality of licensing for planting and extracting cannabis oil in Nigeria as well as exploiting its commercial potential with focus on Ondo State despite his denials.
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