A former drug addict, John Asogonnde, has advised against the government’s consideration of legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes in the country.
Expressing his concerns, Mr Asogonnde emphasised that legalizing marijuana now for recreational use could lead to widespread abuse due to the absence of proper regulatory structures.
As the author of “Unchained,” a book detailing his journey of overcoming drug addiction, Asogonnde operates Eden Bar, which is touted as Ghana’s premier non-alcoholic establishment.
Attributing his transformation to a sermon by Mensah Otabil, the General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Centre (ICGC), Asogonnde shared that this pivotal moment marked the end of his addiction.
In a media interview on Thursday, May 23, Asogonnde revealed that his struggle with addiction began during his university years, where he started smoking marijuana after indulging in other vices.
“I don’t see us in a position to put in the necessary structures in place whereby when marijuana is legalized, we will be able to make some benefits from it.”
“At this point, if you legalise it, it will be more harm than good because the abuse will be inevitable. It could easily lead to young people abusing the drug without really understanding the extent to which it goes,” he said.
‘And so I’m not of the school of thought that it should be legalised now, but for medicinal use and industrial purpose, we could explore that,” he said.
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