{"id":52652,"date":"2023-07-16T06:46:45","date_gmt":"2023-07-16T06:46:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/otafiire-throws-weight-behind-cannabis-khat"},"modified":"2023-07-16T08:00:15","modified_gmt":"2023-07-16T08:00:15","slug":"otafiire-throws-weight-behind-cannabis-khat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/otafiire-throws-weight-behind-cannabis-khat","title":{"rendered":"Otafiire throws weight behind cannabis, khat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Uganda. <\/strong><\/span>The Internal Affairs minister on July 14 re-echoed his support for the legalisation of medical marijuana and khat.<\/p>\n

Maj Gen (rtd) Kahinda Otafiire told Parliament\u2019s Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs that Uganda\u2019s lack of foresight is costing it a lot of forex.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy colleagues in Kenya tell me they get $120m (Shs436b) from exporting miraa to Somalia,\u201d Mr Otafiire disclosed, adding, \u201c$120m is a quarter of what we get from coffee exports.\u201d<\/p>\n

The committee\u2014chaired by Mr Wilson Kajwengye (Nyabushyozi County)\u2014is scrutinising the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Bill, 2023, which in its current form lists khat and marijuana among the prohibited substances.<\/p>\n

\u201cMiraa is not a banned substance by the international community; it is a tradeable substance,\u201d he said of khat that is widely known as miraa in East Africa.<\/p>\n

Mr Kajwengye queried the criteria the government will use to \u201ctell people out there that this is good, this is bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Thursday, officials from Butabika National Mental Referral Hospital, led by Dr Juliet Nakku, the executive director, roundly rejected the proposed legalisation of both marijuana and khat.<\/p>\n

They argued that it can predispose those that consume either substance to mental illness.<\/p>\n

Mr Kepher Kuchana, the director of Government Analytical Laboratories, listed the pros and cons of marijuana (cannabis).<\/p>\n

He concluded that\u2014on the balance of probabilities\u2014it is better to legalise the substance for purely medicinal purposes by licensed and strictly supervised farmers.<\/p>\n

\u201cCannabis is good for relaxation and stress relief, insecticidal and pesticidal activity due to cannabinoids and cannabioxepane; it is good as anti-malarial, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-epileptic and dermocosmetic activities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

However, he also discredited the plant.<\/p>\n

\u201c[It] temporarily impairs short-term memory, attention and cognitive function, particularly when consumed in higher doses; it affects coordination, balance, and reaction time, which may impair driving or operating machinery,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cIt also has potential mental health risks such as anxiety disorders and psychosis, particularly in individuals predisposed to these conditions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The committee is handling the Bill following the annulment of a similar Act by the Constitutional Court, which admonished Parliament for passing the then Bill without the requisite quorum.<\/p>\n

The committee retreats to write its report and present its findings to Parliament tentatively next week.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Uganda<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Uganda. The Internal Affairs minister on July 14 re-echoed his support for the legalisation of medical marijuana and khat. Maj Gen (rtd) Kahinda Otafiire told Parliament\u2019s Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs that Uganda\u2019s lack of foresight is costing it a lot of forex. \u201cMy colleagues in Kenya tell me they get $120m […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":52651,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[233,240,234],"class_list":["post-52652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-uganda","tag-uganda"],"yoast_head":"\nOtafiire throws weight behind cannabis, khat - Uganda<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Internal Affairs minister on July 14 re-echoed his support for the legalisation of medical marijuana and khat. 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