‘Cannabis, despite its medicinal uses, is proven to cause psychosis’

A mental health expert, Dr Victor Makanjuola, has said that the cannabis currently being sold on Nigerian streets is four times more potent than the one sold in the 80s and 90s and that it has been proven to cause psychosis, contrary to the impression of many youths and its acclaimed medical benefits on the internet.

Dr Makanjuola, a consultant psychiatrist who spoke at the 2022 Ibadan Christian Counselling Conference of Christ’s Chapel with the theme “Contemporary Issues in Christian Counselling”, said that through research, the potency of cannabis had been increased about four times. He added that in order to avoid becoming psychotic, it was better not to try it at all.

He stated that cannabis was the most commonly used illegal substance in Nigeria, although the most frequently used legal drug is alcohol, warning that the large number of Nigerians abusing hard drugs was mind-boggling, and a pointer to a looming problem.

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He decried increased drug use by women, which was before rare. He noted that women’s use of hard substances had exceeded that of men in some parts of Nigeria, pointing out that many women in purdah in Northern Nigeria now consumed codeine, while young ladies’ first smoke was cannabis.

According to him, “Three decades ago, if you didn’t have a family history of psychosis and you were using cannabis, you probably would not become psychotic. Now, there is no argument anymore: it causes psychosis.

“There are two species of cannabis, and both contain two major chemicals, namely THC and CBD. The THC is very damaging. But every leaf of cannabis contains both THC and CBD. So, as long as you are getting cannabis in leaf form, you are getting both its good and bad content.

“The popular argument of young people is that there is medical marijuana and that they have read on the internet that it is good for glaucoma, appetite and so on. Unfortunately, when they Google cannabis before they start using it, its terrible effects are not listed.

“Cannabis is a multi-billion dollar business in the world, so big companies put money on target marketing of cannabis. As such, each time you see about seven or eight positive things about it online, there may be one or two negative things.”

Dr Makanjuola stated that addiction to drugs, including cannabis was a brain disease that had no magical cure, although counselling sessions and talk therapies could help to get people delivered from addiction.

He added, “For a fully established addiction, punishment doesn’t work for most of them. So, we need to work on motivation to make them change.”

Earlier, the leader of the Counseling unit of Christ’s Chapel, Ibadan, Professor Abimbola Oluwatosin, said substance abuse and drug addiction were contemporary issues that had crept into churches in Nigeria and counsellors and teachers must be abreast of what it is and be able to identify and help those hooked on drugs.