“My Lord, I Smoke ‘Ganja’ Because Of My Asthma'

A judge of an Accra Circuit Court, Francis Obiri, has expressed serious worries about the increasing use of narcotic drugs in Ghana, especially among the youth, warning that if serious efforts are not made to stem the tide it could have serious implication for the development of the country in the years ahead.

He has therefore called on the various religious organisations and NGOs to support law enforcement agencies in the fight against the increasing use of narcotic drugs, by mounting intensive education campaign about the consequences of the practice.
According to Francis Obiri, suspects arrested in connection with narcotic use, supply or possession are brought to his court almost on daily basis, adding that some of the suspects are as young as 14 years.

Mr Obiri expressed the worries after Kwasi Agyei, a 33-year old unemployed, who is standing trial for narcotic use, almost succeeded in touching on his emotions when he told the court that he had been smoking for 13 years.

When asked to tell the court why he had been using Indian hemp, suspect Kwasi Agyei almost threw the court room into laughter when he said: “My Lord, I smoke ganja because my of asthma.”

When asked who told him the substance could cure his asthma, Kwasi said it was his friends who gave him the advice. He further told the court that until he was arrested by the police at his base in Achimota, he used to smoke three times in a day.

He explained that he got sick while he was residing in Cape Coast and the doctors said all his lungs might have spoilt so he should go for a scan to determine the true state of his lungs. Kwasi Agyei added that he could not get the money required for the scan and so came to Accra to live with his friends who are all engaged in narcotic use. He told the court all his friends had been smoking Indian hemp because it made them happy.

Meanwhile, Frank Kwesi Arhin of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital has observed that the daily mental cases reported at the facility are Indian hemp smoking related.

According to Mr Arhin, research has shown that male users of the substance lose 13 years out of their lifespan while females lose 14 years.

Culled From Peace FM Ghana