Don’t legalize marijuana – Akwasi Osei

The Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Authority, Dr. Akwasi Osei, has rejected calls for legalizing marijuana in Ghana, warning it will lead to unprecedented levels of crimes in the country.

His comments come on the back of two separate incidents of barbarism recorded in the Eastern Region—the lynching and charring of a 29-year-old mentally derailed man, Kofi Sammy for allegedly killing a 28-year-old pregnant woman, Alimatu Karim and mutilating parts of her remains for food and the fatal assault and murder of a teacher at Asiakwa Salvation Army Basic School in the Abuakwa South Municipality by some four teenagers suspected to be on weed.

“We are reaping the consequence of our neglect, the consequences of our neglect for mental health and our entertaining the thoughts of legalizing cannabis. These are the consequences,” Dr Osei stated on Morning Starr Tuesday with Francis Abban.

“So somebody takes marijuana even if he does not become frantic psychotic, these are the consequences, behavioral problems and disorders. And indeed, in countries where marijuana has been legalized they had begun to record high levels of crime, high levels aggression, these are the natural consequences,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service has blocked a planned march by the Rastafarian Council of Ghana to raise awareness on the need to legalize marijuana in Ghana.

The march was slated for May 8, but the police on Monday pushed for an injunction to halt it.