By Deborah Nnamdi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has raised alarm over the circulation of dangerous illicit substances being deceptively packaged and sold to the public as “medicinal cannabis.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the alert followed credible intelligence that led to the arrest of a 28-year-old drug kingpin on November 1 at his residence located at 2 Akala Street, off Umoru Street, Idi Oro, Mushin, Lagos.
According to the NDLEA, the suspect operated from an enclave where he packaged and distributed the fake medicinal cannabis in designer pouches and cups. A total of 16.4 kilograms of synthetic and highly potent strains of cannabis — including Colorado, Arizona, Canadian Loud, and Ghana Loud — were recovered from his store.
The agency cautioned that these products, falsely labelled as medicinal, are in fact adulterated and dangerous psychoactive substances, not safe pharmaceutical preparations. Investigations confirmed that the so-called “therapeutic cannabis” contains extremely high concentrations of harmful strains known to cause severe psychological and physical effects.
“These strains—such as Loud, Arizona, and Colorado—are highly addictive and pose immediate threats to public health, including risks of psychosis, acute anxiety, paranoia, and long-term cognitive damage, especially among young people,” the statement warned.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd), condemned the criminal exploitation of global discussions on medicinal cannabis, saying the perpetrators are using the narrative as a cover to push life-destroying drugs into communities.
“Cannabis remains a prohibited substance in Nigeria. Any product sold under the guise of ‘medicinal cannabis’ is fake, dangerous, and illegal,” Marwa stressed.
He urged Nigerians to be vigilant and avoid being deceived by attractive packaging or false health claims. “Please do not consume these products. Report any individual or group involved in the illicit trade of these dangerous substances to the nearest NDLEA office,” he added.
