Before the Nigerian Civil War started
in 1966, Indian hemp was relatively unknown in the country. While some
countries, such as the United States, were busy fighting the adverse effects of
drug use, many Nigerians hardly knew what the weed looked like.
Indian hemp (marijuana or Igbo) somewhat found its way
into the streets, especially in the major towns and cities and war-torn areas,
during the war. At the time, the biggest users were soldiers and a few hardened
criminals.
Even then, it was rarely used by the
youths. Young people who dared to smoke the weed only did so in deserted areas
where they would not be seen.
Between the 1980s and 1990s,
the use of Indian hemp became popular among the youths with the rise of
musicians such as Bob Marley, Fela Anikulakpo Kuti, Orlando Owoh, among others,
who were associated with the drug.
Just like the content of their music,
Marley and Fela inspired defiance to established authority among their followers
and encouraged many of them to express their anger by smoking Indian hemp. In
due course, hemp smoking became a fad, which many people, male and female,
eagerly identified with.
Indian hemp joints everywhere
Just as it was in the days of Fela,
hemp is openly sold and consumed everywhere: in street corners, bars,
nightclubs and during musical concerts. Not even spirited efforts by the
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has helped to check the proliferation of
sales outlets in different parts of the country.
Investigation by VISTA across Lagos
shows that in the decrepit Jakande Low Cost Housing Estate on the Lekki-Epe
Expressway, Indian hemp smoking is as common as sachets of ‘pure’ water. At any
time of the day, some idle youths in the area can be seen passing lighted
joints of the banned weed among themselves without any care in the world.
Gone are the days when marijuana
addicts hid under the cover of darkness to get high on the weed. Nowadays, they
have no need to hide their odious habit from the public.
It is no longer strange to find
Indian hemp users smoking in the open. In places like Jakande Estate in Ajah, a
swampy no-man’s-land, it is common to find hoodlums partaking in jamborees
where hemp is freely consumed.
The estate is currently undergoing a
strange transformation. When it was built by former Governor Lateef Jakande of
Lagos State about 30 years ago, it was a status symbol of a sort. Today, it has
degenerated into a slum.
Surrounded by upscale and
eye-catching mansions, the estate cuts a very unpleasant picture. All kinds of
people, mainly youths, live in the various shacks erected on every available
space. Early in the day, they converge on the various joints to consume several
wraps of Indian hemp with dry gin before dispersing for the day’s jobs. As a
result of this, the air is always heavy with the odour of marijuana.
Another spot where youths exhibit a
high degree of carelessness while smoking the weed is a disused refuse dump
close to the AP Petrol Station, near Pen Cinema Bus Stop in Agege.
A addicts hang around the spot where
rams are sold to smoke hemp, even when the road is busy. It does not seem to
matter that they could be caught in the act by law enforcement agents in the
area. Some of them hang out at the motor park near the Pen Cinema Police
Station. But anytime of the day, the pungent smell of the narcotic hangs in the
air.
The Agege area of Lagos is populated
by many street urchins (or area boys) and youths well known among the decent
folk for their addiction to marijuana. Similarly, the entire area is riddled
with joints where the drug is sold, starting from the Total Petrol Station on
the old Abeokuta Road.
Also, the weed is openly consumed in
large quantities on Itire-Ojuelegba road in Surulere, especially on a spot between
the Oando and MRS petrol stations. Youths hang out here every day to smoke
without a challenge from the police.
Teaching and learning at Our Lady of
Lourdes Girls Primary School on Clegg Street is threatened by the activities of
youths who seem to have chosen that spot to engage in hemp smoking and other
criminal activities.
The entrance to the school’s premises
is often littered with cigarette butts, half-smoked joints of Indian hemp,
empty cans of beer, whisky bottles and empty packets of Gold Circle condom.
The pupils are clearly distracted by
the ugly scene outside their classrooms. Many of them stare in obvious
disbelief at the idle youths puffing away on fat wraps of Indian hemp.
In spite of the fact that the Area
‘C’ Police Division lies two blocks away from the school compound and Abalti
Army Barracks is less than 1 km away, some members of the staff of Our Lady of
Lourdes Girls Primary School are scared of the activities of the hoodlums.
The dilapidated Government College at
Eric Moore is another spot where hemp smoking takes place. The Agbole area of
Ikotun is also a notorious rendezvous for addicts. Ironically, it is not far
from the palace of the traditional ruler of the town.
In Mushin, Indian hemp consumption is
common among members of rival gangs that often engage in wars of supremacy
among themselves.
Another community where marijuana is
freely consumed is Ajelogo, an erstwhile shanty town on Ikorodu Road that has
been transformed into a plantain market. Addicts can be seen hanging out around
the squalid environment with the weed and bottles of gin. After smoking and
drinking to their hearts’ content, they engage in all kinds of menial jobs at
the market.
When the Fashola administration gave
the order to demolish the notorious slum about two years ago, many Lagosians
hailed the move. For a long while before the bulldozers rolled in to accomplish
the task, the shanty town had stuck out on the landscape for malfeasance.
Because of its squalid condition,
Ajelogo was home to armed robbers, petty thieves, prostitutes, drug addicts,
and hardened criminals. Law-abiding Nigerians often avoided it like a plague.
The demolition, no doubt, had
rendered thousands of people, who had made the market place their haven,
homeless. But it led to the discovery of some arms and other dangerous weapons
hidden underneath the rubble of the erstwhile ramshackle structures.
When our correspondent visited the
place recently, some residents were seen milling around the refuse dump,
oblivious of the choking smell emanating from it. Others were huddled under
some tents and eating on the edge of the dump.
Life appeared normal here, in spite
of the overwhelming filth and stench. One could possibly attract a hostile
stare by trying to use a handkerchief to cover one’s nostrils. Such a person
would definitely be seen as ‘abnormal’ or acting ‘strange.’
A little distance from the refuse
dump, some street urchins were busy making brisk business on a dilapidated
bridge on Akanmodo Street. Bits of wood had been placed on the bridge to make
it passable. No motorist was allowed to drive through without parting with some
money.
The smell of Indian hemp, being
consumed by the street urchins inhabiting the area, competed with the dreadful
odour from the dump. Indian hemp has also crept into schools, as cultists
depend on it for added vigour.
During the Felabration concert last
year at the Shrine in Agidingbi, Lagos, youths openly smoked Indian hemp
without a care in the world. It is the same scenario at other major annual
concerts around the country a youths take pride in consuming the weed.
Even artistes are not left out, as
many popular ones among them consume copious quantities of Indian hemp to boost
their stage performance.
In some high brow and middle class
neighbourhoods in major cities across Nigeria, it is common to see youths
smoking the drug in corners. Where they are unable to find spots inside posh
estates, they hang around busy areas nearby.
Even the children of the rich are not
left out. Cultists in various schools take the drug to receive stimulation for
violent fights with rivals.
Getting ‘high’ on the weed
It was learnt that the fact that the
drug is sold at a very cheap price is enough to seduce almost anyone to give it
a try.
For instance, the normal size Igbo, which is about the same size as the
conventional cigarette, sells for just N50 while the special type, commonly
known as Skunk, is sold for N100.
A drug dealer, who preferred not to
be named, said various kinds of Indian hemp are available, depending on the
need of the customer.
He said, “For the normal Igbo, we sell it at the price
of N50. But it could be sold for less if paw-paw leaves are added to it. There
is another type of Igbo known as Skunk and it is sold for
N100. Skunk consists of small amounts of cocaine and dry leaves. It is for the
strong-minded.
“Many people are however scared of
Skunk because it could be addictive and could also make you run mad if you take
too much of it
“There is also the biggest size,
known as Jumbo. It is also known as Baba 70. Jumbo is about 20 small wraps of Igbo wrapped in one. We usually wrap it in
newspapers.”
The source added that even security
agents buy the drug from him which they smoke whenever they need to go on
patrol or special operations.
Marijuana is also used for various
purposes ranging from medicinal to recreational.
A consumer, who identified himself as
Hakeem, said the drug was relaxing.
He said, “People smoke Igbo for different reasons. I take it
because it makes me feel good. It puts me in a state of happiness and I forget
my problems.
“I am a bus conductor, so you can
imagine the sort of stress I go through on the streets of Lagos everyday.lgbo is not expensive at all and it doesn’t
turn your stomach like alcohol.”
Another hemp smoker, Michelle,
described the drug as a necessary medicine.
She said, “Whenever I have menstrual
pain, I take Igbo. It’s
very soothing. I know it’s not lady-like but I discovered that it works so I
don’t take it in public.
“I’ve been doing this for many years
and to my knowledge, it has no side effects. I take the mild Igbo, not the one
mixed with cocaine.”
For Demola, a final year student of
Business Administration, Igbo offers a means to success.
Demola said the tension that usually
accompanies examinations becomes non-existent after two wraps ofhemp.
He said, “I got into school with the
impression that Igbo is for hooligans but one day, after
studying late into the night and I couldn’t sleep, a room mate of mine
suggested I take some.
“I took some and slept like a baby.
The following morning, I felt so refreshed that immediately I picked up my
book, I assimilated everything.
“It might be psychological, but it
works for me. I am on Second Class Upper grade.”
Tobi, a thug in Idi Araba area of
Lagos, said Igbo smoking helps in boosting confidence.
Tobi said Igbo smoking is for the strong at heart.
He said, “Even Fela knew its
importance. For you to survive on the streets, you can’t be weak or seen to be
weak. Igbo is like a boost that makes you feel
confident.”
There are two types of Indian hemp in
the country: the natural and unadulterated ‘grass’ and the ‘strong’ variety.
The latter is a mixture of ground cannabis leaves, paw paw leaves, cocaine and
other stimulants.
Since the weed is cheap, it is
readily available to anybody that craves it. A wrap of Indian hemp, which used
to be sold at N10, now goes for N50. Smokers also mix with gin or brandy in a
concoction known as ‘Monkey tail’.
Apart from youths, other Nigerians
across different walks of life appear to be addicted to the weed. Just like
most musicians, who often smoke before and after performing at concerts, many
users depend on it to give them courage.
VISTA gathered that artistes who
indulge in the habit do so to fight stage fright. Yet, some of them have, in
the process of gaining self confidence, become quite addicted to the narcotic
and ruined their career.
Some young professionals discreetly
indulge in hemp smoking. Such upwardly mobile Nigerians believe that they get
fired up with ideas and inspiration under the influence of the drug.
Also, adolescents desiring freedom
from parental control experiment with marijuana. The impact of drug abuse among
adolescents has been a stigma of moral decadence, violence, thuggery, assault,
madness and murder.
For some people, smoking marijuana makes
them feel good. Within minutes of inhaling, a user begins to feel “high,” or
filled with pleasant sensations. But it is just for a short time.
Drug addiction has been known to
cause mental illnesses in later stages. These range from anxiety, depression,
phobia, psychosis (a situation where the addict hears voices), paranoia and
grandiose delusions.
A psychiatrist with the Yaba
Psychiatrist Hospital, Dr. Moses Ojo, told VISTA that addiction to Indian hemp
figured prominently in most cases of substance addiction handled by the
hospital.
“Hard drugs are psychoactive
substances which act on the brain and alter it. This includes hemp, cocaine,
heroin, methamphamine and LSD. There are others, such as caffeine, which is
also addictive. However, most of the aforementioned hard drugs are commonly
used in Europe although methamphamine is gradually making its entrance into
Nigeria. At present, hemp is the most commonly used drug.
“A lot of mental illnesses have been
linked to drug addiction. Last year, we got about 328 cases of drug addiction;
the previous year, it was 302. In the larger society, these figures could be
more. Most of these patients were addicted to hemp although not all were new
cases. Some were old patients who had relapsed. On the whole, there seem to be
an increasing number of new cases of drug addiction every year.
“Most psychoactive substances cause
mental illness over time. This is dependent though on the quantity of drugs
being consumed, the frequency of usage, the concentration of the drug, the
purpose for which it was taken and the resilience of the drug user’s brain
because no two human beings are the same,” Ojo said.
Ojo said that when hard drugs are
consumed, the resultant effects are not expended in useful activity and they
become counter-productive.
He said, “There are people who will
tell you that they take psychoactive substances to enhance sexual performance,
others take it to enhance physical performance in sporting activities.
“Perhaps on such people, because the
resultant effects are expended on an activity, the drugs do not hurt. But if a
student or an unemployed youth gets a hold of these drugs, uses them while
still idle, prolonged use might lead mental illnesses. There is no theory to
prove this though.”
The psychiatrist says the problem
cuts across all classes.
“This issue of drug abuse cuts
across social strata; 70 per cent of the patients who come here have had
education above the secondary level. About 40 per cent are educated up to
tertiary level. That is not to say that the uneducated don’t use these drugs.
“They simply don’t come here because
they don’t have the funds to pay their medical bills. Nigeria is one country
where health facilities are only available to those who have the wherewithal to
pay for it. For our adult patients, the age ranges runs from 21 to 56 years.
Patients below 18 years are treated at another facility for young drug addicts.
“The drug most likely to cause
psychosis in addicts is hemp. I remember a case of a hemp addict who eventually
killed his mother under the delusion that she was a witch. Hemp addiction
causes restlessness, aggression and schizophrenia,” he explained.
Ojo said majority of drug cases
handled at the hospital resulted from addiction to Indian hemp.
Speaking on the trend, the Chairman
and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mr. Ahmadu
Giade said, “The trade in cannabis is a big challenge for the NDLEA because
this is a drug, unlike cocaine and heroin, that can be grown in the country.
“Every year, cannabis takes the lead
in drug seizures. In 2010, the NDLEA seized 1174, 661.59kg of cannabis and
destroyed 631.17 hectares of cannabis plantations nationwide. In 2011, the
amount went up to 191,847.91kg of cannabis seized and 918 hectares of
plantations destroyed. It is the predominant drug of abuse in the country
particularly because it is so cheap.
“Although cannabis can be grown in
any part of the country, cultivation is prevalent in the South-West and South-
South because of the fertility. Often, farmlands dedicated to the cultivation
of this drug are located in inaccessible forests, making cannabis farm
destruction operations very difficult.”
Giade described it as the most abused
drug in the country because it can be grown effortlessly anywhere and it is
very cheap.
“There is no legislation against this
unlike in Western nations where no child under 18 can buy alcohol. From there,
these children often graduate to buying and using hemp. After all, the euphoria
an addict gets from a wrap of hemp is equal to what four bottles of beer can
provide. Hemp is just a cheaper alternative.”
“The euphoria a wrap of hemp gives an
addict is the equivalent of four bottles of beer,” he said.
A lecturer in psychology at the
University of Lagos, Dr. Oni Fagbohungbe, described hemp abuse trend as a
general phenomenon. He said, “The smoking of hemp among youths is not solely a
Nigerian problem; it is a worldwide one. If you look at the world today, there
are social problems all over the place; economies are failing. The major victims
of these problems are the youths.
“A major reason why they smoke hemp
is simply frustration-aggression. It is a theory in pyschology; when you set a
goal, you work towards it. If something disturbs the realisation of your goal,
frustration sets in and then you resort to aggression.
“In those days as a young man, before
you go for youth service, you already know that there is a job waiting for you.
Now it is no longer so. Graduates work for decades and still cannot buy a car.”
He also says that hemp boosts the
confidence of users.
“The hemp simply enables them to do
things they ordinarily wouldn’t do; which in this case would be anti-social
activities such as theft, rape and so on. Even the elite and celebrities who
take hemp equally have a need which the hemp satisfies, that the public is
unaware of. For instance, some musicians have difficulty facing crowds. For
them, smoking hemp might give them the required courage. In all, everyone who
takes hemp has defined a need around it which the drug satisfies.
He, however, has a solution.
“To curb this problem, there needs to
be cooperation among parents, the government and even religious leaders. We
need to return to our values or else there would be a total breakdown in
society; already the youths are asking questions.
Parents need to instill moral values
in their children and our leaders should be serious about fighting corruption.
They have to make the youths see that corrupt office-holders actually do get
punished for their crimes. We need leaders to handle the problem of corruption
so that the basic needs of society can be provided for.”
By ADEOLA BALOGUN and COMFORT OSEGHALE.
Source:
Punch
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