The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has warned Nigerians, especially youths, about the circulation of dangerous illicit substances being falsely marketed as medicinal cannabis.
Gatekeepers News reports that the agency raised the alarm in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the NDLEA, the public alert followed the arrest of a 28-year-old drug kingpin on Saturday, November 1, at 2 Akala Street, off Umoru Street, Idi Oro, Mushin, Lagos — an enclave where the suspect was allegedly packaging and distributing fake “medicinal” cannabis in designer pouches and cups.
“A total of 16.4 kilograms of dangerous and synthetic strains of cannabis were recovered from his store. This includes Colorado, Arizona, Canadian Loud, and Ghana Loud packaged in designer pouches and cups labelled as medicinal cannabis,” the statement said.
The NDLEA warned that these products are not pharmaceutical-grade medicinal preparations, but rather adulterated and highly potent psychoactive substances.
“These so-called medicinal products are, in reality, adulterated and highly potent strains of dangerous psychoactive substances. They are not the regulated, safe pharmaceutical preparations they are purported to be,” the agency stated.
Investigations, according to the NDLEA, revealed that the seized products contain highly concentrated and harmful variants of cannabis, including Loud, Arizona, and Colorado—each known for their severe psychological and physical effects.
“Rather than the purported medicinal cannabis, the strains are highly addictive and pose a significant, immediate threat to public health and safety. They are associated with severe mental health issues, including psychosis, acute anxiety, paranoia, and long-term cognitive impairments, especially among young people,” the statement added.
Reacting to the development, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd), said the agency would continue to expose criminal elements exploiting global debates around medicinal cannabis to promote dangerous products locally.
“The criminal elements behind this deceit are only exploiting the global conversation around medicinal cannabis to push their illicit and life-destroying products into our communities,” Marwa said.
He reaffirmed that cannabis remains a prohibited substance in Nigeria, stressing that any product sold under the guise of medicinal cannabis is fake, dangerous, and illegal.
“Please do not consume it. Report any person or group involved in the illicit trade of these dangerous substances to the nearest NDLEA office,” Marwa urged.
