By: Ali Jaw
Scores of Gambian youth have turned down calls to legalize “cannabis or marijuana”, describing any attempt to legalize the hard drug could turn the nation youth into disarray.
This comes as a group launched campaign to make cannabis legal in the country, citing it cures certain diseases and that cannabis farming is a lucrative business venture, and as such, it needs to be legalized by the government to improve the earnings of farmers in the country.
However, cannabis still remains illegal under the laws of the country.
But a handful number of the society slammed their campaign and questioned whether the group considers sight effects it would have on the young people and that school going children are involved in smoking cannabis.
Modou Lamin said legalizing the substance would not be good for the nation saying: “it would destroy our society.”
“I advise those smoking to stop, what would he tell me, he would refuse, and therefore, I can’t do anything to him, because he would then have the right to use it. I don’t want that, though I do smoke,” he added.
Ismaila said that: “that is unreasonable. It is not even accepted by our religion, Islam. We smoke, but we ourselves know that, it is not good, and we are optimistic that, there would come a time when we would leave it permanently.”
The investigations about the reaction and opinion of the public over this matter commenced, when it came to the knowledge of The Voice that, there is an organization or association that is formed to fight for the decriminalization of cannabis in the country.
Most Gambians didn’t welcome the idea of legalizing the substance in the country. Others were in fact shocked upon hearing that, there is a campaign for the decriminalization of the substance in the country, according to them, they have never thought of this happening