The Minister of Internal Affairs, Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, has asked Parliament to legalize the use of Marijuana (cannabis) for medical purposes, saying the old position of the law should yield new scientific findings that endorse the herb as medicine.
The government is also seeking to remove Khat from the list of prohibited narcotic drugs in the statute books of Uganda.
Maj Gen. Kahinda Otafiire the Internal Affairs Minister, who led a team of top officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to submit the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Bill under review, revealed that there was no point in the continued criminalization of Marijuana (cannabis), given its growing importance in medicine.
Otafiire wondered why the government allows foreign companies to grow cannabis and make huge profits that they repatriate to their country and not let its citizens to venture into the same profitable business.
Otafiire who also defended the use of khat (Mairungi) noting that Khat is not as dangerous, noted that Uganda has the security capacity to protect Marijuana gardens from public access
Kepher Kuchana, the Director of the Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratory, said there is new research that should persuade Parliament into allowing the medicinal use of cannabis.
The committee chaired by Nyabushozi County MP Wilson Kajwengye, implored that the ministry explicitly defines the kind of cannabis they seek to promote.
The government reintroduced the Bill on May 23rd, 2023, two weeks after the Constitutional Court nullified the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act on grounds that at the time of its passing Parliament lacked the required quorum.
