Some members of the House of Representatives clashed on Wednesday over a bill that would legalize the commercial cultivation, sale, and use of cannabis, also known as marijuana.
Two House members, Benjamin Kalu and Olumide Osoba, had introduced a new bill to amend the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, allowing the anti-narcotics agency to issue licenses for marijuana cultivation, sale, and use.
The legislation was titled, ‘A Bill for an Act to Amend the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Confer Additional Responsibility of the Power to Grant and Revoke Licenses for the Cultivation of Cannabis (or Any of Its Three Species, Namely Cannabis Sativa, Cannabis Indicia and Cannabis Ruderalis) Plant for Medicinal Purposes; and for Related Matters.’
The bill is a consolidated version of Kalu and Osoba’s separate bills numbered HBs. 1190 & 1918.
However, when the bill was up for second reading at the plenary on Wednesday, another member of the House, Miriam Onuoha, protested that the content of the bill was same with hers, which she sponsored long ago.
The Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, in his ruling, asked both sides to liaise with the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Abubakar Fulata, to identify the differences and similarities between the bills ahead of sitting on Thursday.
Cannabis cultivation, sale and use are presently outlawed in Nigeria.