Bukola Afeni
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), has warned Nigerians against consuming products falsely packaged and marketed as medicinal cannabis, describing them as dangerous, illegal, and life-threatening.
Marwa said criminal elements were exploiting the global conversation around medicinal cannabis to push illicit and harmful substances into Nigerian communities.
“Cannabis remains a prohibited substance in Nigeria. Any product being sold locally under the guise of ‘medicinal cannabis’ is fake, dangerous, and illegal. Please do not consume it; report anyone involved in the illicit trade to the nearest NDLEA office,” he cautioned.
His warning followed the arrest of a 28-year-old drug kingpin, Afeez Salisu, also known as Malu, at his residence on 2 Akala Street, off Umoru Street, Idi Oro, Mushin-Lagos, on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said Salisu’s hideout served as the packaging and distribution hub for the fake medicinal cannabis, which he sold in designer pouches and cups.
He said: “A total of 16.4 kilograms of dangerous and synthetic strains of cannabis, including Colorado, Arizona, Canadian Loud and Ghana Loud packaged in designer pouches and cups labelled as medicinal cannabis, were recovered from his store.”
”The Agency therefore wishes to warn Nigerians, especially the youth, that these so-called medicinal products are, in reality, adulterated and highly potent strains of dangerous psychoactive substances and are not the regulated, safe pharmaceutical preparations they are purported to be.
“Investigations by the Agency have confirmed that the seized and recovered products being peddled under the guise of therapeutic cannabis contain dangerously high concentrations of illicit and harmful strains of cannabis, including Loud, known for its extreme potency and severe psychological effects;
“Arizona, a highly concentrated and destructive variant of cannabis; and Colorado, a potent, often synthetic, strain with devastating consequences on the user’s mental and physical health.
The NDLEA warned that the substances pose an immediate threat to public health, especially among young people, as they are associated with psychosis, acute anxiety, paranoia, and other long-term mental disorders.
“These include psychosis, acute anxiety, paranoia, and other long-term cognitive impairments, especially among young people.”
