Friday, March 29, 2024

Campaign for legalizing marijuana is misunderstood – Sakala

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A reggae fan smoking marijuana during the Bob Marley memorial concert in Lusaka west
A reggae fan smoking marijuana during the Bob Marley memorial concert in Lusaka west

The opposition Zambia Direct Democracy Movement (ZDDM) says the campaign for legalizing marijuana in Zambia has been misunderstood.

ZDDM president Edwin Sakala has told Qfm news in a statement that his party has realized that many people in the country have come to think that the political parties making this call are calling for a situation where people can be free to smoke marijuana freely.

Mr. Sakala says this understanding is very wrong because even the countries which cultivate and export marijuana they do this in a controlled environment.

He says his party believes that that it is against this background of misunderstanding that Home Affairs Minister Ngosa Simbyakula and the Patriotic Front (PF) government has been making statements opposing the continued calls for a new law legalizing the growing of marijuana in Zambia.

The ZDDM leader says in view such understanding it is also clear people are not aware that growing marijuana under a controlled environment or even under a license is a brilliant idea which can help Zambia join other countries like South Africa to earn a lot of foreign exchange.

He states that it is important that those opposed to this idea must be made to understand that those calling for marijuana to be legalized are not calling for a law which will allow people to smoke it but rather having it grown under controlled environments and for export to pharmaceutical companies.

Mr. Sakala further states that legalizing the growing of marijuana under controlled environments will also help the nation stop wasting resources on criminalizing citizens who continue to cultivate marijuana which was widely grown in Zambia for many years for its medicinal value.

9 COMMENTS

  1. We r NOT CONCERNED with dobo right now.
    Talk of the SOLUTION to the dilema we r in at the moment we dont ve a PRESIDENT ba Sakala not this nosense u r bringing…….!!!!

  2. People should make sure that they do not consume items that are polluting their health status.some of these things are here in the world to act as the flowers and decorate our planet.let zambain citizens be matured and be commited in the work of our potter who is God. By David Njamba from University of Barotseland in Mongu.

  3. Cannabis is a healing herb that has a long history of use in Africa. Cannabis never kills by overdose, unlike common aspirin. Cannabis treats a wide range of conditions. You can read about this in these articles- “Marijuana May Slow Alzheimer’s” (WebMD), “Pot compound seen as tool against cancer” (SFGate) , New Study: Cannabinoids Protect the Brain and Heart From Injury” (Science20), “Smoked Cannabis Reduces Some Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis” (UCSD), “Marijuana Compound May Help Stop Diabetic Retinopathy” (ScienceDaily), “Marijuana may be Helpful in Lowering Blood Pressure” (BioMedicine), “Families migrate to Colorado for marijuana miracle” (DenverPost) and “Cannabis for Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease treatment” (NewsMedicalNet).

  4. ..should we legalise cultivation of OPIUM as well..??..because it will give us twice as much FOREX as weed would…??
    Mr. Sakala, are you concerned about the effect of the weed.. you will export.. have on your colleague’s sons and daughters out there or all you are interested is the financial gain..??

  5. Let this matter be tabled in parliament and be debated. no one govt minister should decide what is good for the country, that is why we have a parliament to make laws.
    Lubanje is good for the body, do not be cheated, it is very very good if like all things it is taken moderately with measures put in place to protect children from accessing it.
    Beer is very very bad for the body but it is allowed why.
    Let us have a commission of enquiry so people can air their views.

  6. Crazy people wth crazy ideas always with open beaks blaating kaark. you are failing to control vendata at kcm, will you control a million mescow lunatics when they come to cultivate it?

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