The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has clarified that there is no Federal Government approval yet for the export of cannabis oil, despite remarks recently attributed to its Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd).

In a statement signed by the Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA explained that Marwa’s comments at a workshop organized by the Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) were his personal contributions to the debate and not a declaration of government policy.

At the workshop themed “Cannabis Oil Debate: The Path Forward for Nigeria”, Marwa had noted that while NDLEA remains opposed to local use of cannabis due to existing laws and the high rate of drug abuse in the country, the Agency was not against exploring the possibility of exporting cannabis oil for foreign exchange purposes.

However, NDLEA stressed that its position was only one of several perspectives presented at the forum and should not be misconstrued as government approval.

The Agency added that it awaits the outcome of the ongoing study on cannabis oil being conducted by NAS, which will form part of recommendations to the Federal Government before any decision is made.

“The clarification is necessary to avoid misrepresentation and the impression that NDLEA has approved cannabis oil export. Only the Federal Government can take such a decision after reviewing all stakeholders’ inputs,” the statement read