Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has urged community pharmacists to pursue the controlled cultivation and use of cannabis for health benefits in Nigeria.
Akeredolu gave the advice while playing host to the National Executive Council of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) on Wednesday in Akure.
ACPN was in Ondo State for a two-day familiarisation with members, and visitation of the state government project sites.
The governor explained that cannabis could also be used to boost the economy from its present state.
“The way things are going now, the world is moving ahead of us. It is for us to expand our economy in order to get out of this economic quagmire.
“Cannabis is something we can export to make money from. The important thing is to look at the beneficial use, and work against preventing abuse,” he said.
Earlier, Dr Sam Adekola, President, ACPN, said the association had come to take up the advocacy on the issue of beneficial use of cannabis to people.
He said that it was ignorance or lack of vision that made the people raised objection when the governor suggested the use of cannabis for its health benefits.
“For us, as pharmacists, we have come to take this advocacy seriously and we believe that this project will soon be able to benefit the people of the state and the country in general.
“So many people could be employed through cannabis and the medicinal benefits of this product is too numerous to be mentioned,” he said. (NAN)
