Editorial: Medical Cannabis could be another worthy export for Uganda

The Bill, which seeks to, among others, legalise medical Cannabis growing, production, and sale, has been met with fierce resistance from quite a number of players, such as the Church and mental health experts, among others.

They are concerned over the likelihood of the substance precipitating the mental health challenge they say the country is already facing.

The Church, on the other hand, says that Uganda will have lost its morality and also agrees with mental health experts’ views on the subject.

All these players have concerns that need to be taken seriously, given the level to which Uganda has found itself in regards to mental health.

Quite a number of rehabs have since cropped up in Kampala to cater for the growing demand for their services in addressing addictions, especially those that are drug-related.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)'s World Drug Report 2022, about 284 million people aged between 15 to 64 used drugs worldwide in 2020, which was a 26% increase over the previous decade.

Early this year, the Butabika Hospital executive director, Dr. Julie Nakku, while appearing before Parliament, said the number of people with mental health challenges seeking medical treatment has gone up. Most of these, she said, found themselves in that situation because of drug abuse.

She vehemently opposed the legalisation of the substance, saying it will only make matters worse.

Before legalising the substance, Parliament and much of the rest of the Government should address these concerns. This could include limiting the growing, production, and sale of Cannabis to a few players who can easily be monitored, among other possible solutions to address the concerns.

On the flip side of the coin, Cannabis could actually be a worthy Ugandan export that will likely help the country rake in millions of American dollars in foreign exchange earnings.

Foreign earnings are key to a country’s growth and development, as they help make it richer.

Uganda has exported less to the world in the last two decades. Only coffee and tourism have tried to cover up the gap. The country’s manufacturing industry is still small, and there are no signs that it will reach new heights in the near future.

Other African countries such as Lesotho, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Morocco have since taken advantage of the global Cannabis market, which, according to the UNODC, is estimated at $150 billion and could reach $272 billion by 2028.

According to UNDOC, Morocco is Africa’s largest exporter of medical cannabis, with exports valued at $10 billion.

Zimbabwe moved to legalise the medicinal plant last year, having earned $819 million in 2021. The country’s Cannabis industry is valued at $1.25 billion, according to Business Daily, a Kenyan business newspaper.

Legalising the medicinal plant will not only make Uganda one of the countries contributing to the wellbeing of the global health sector, but it will also see the country's export earnings from the plant (which currently stand at $60 million) go up.