Eight people arrested in Kwania for cultivating marijuana

Kwania, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Eight people have been arrested for illegally growing marijuana in Abongomola sub county in Kwania district.

The eight were arrested in a joint operation carried out by police and the local leaders on Wednesday. According to Ivan Nuwagaba, the Kwania acting District Police Commander, the suspects had planted over 7 hectares of cannabis.

The suspects are Robert Obia, Joshua Ogwal, Keren Ayugi, Better Amongi and Jaspher Oloro all from Abwongdani village. Others are Jimmy Okoi from Atimnadi village, Jimmy Odongo and Wilfred Nyero all from Baronger village, Abwong parish, Abongomola sub county.

Nuwagaba says that the arrest stemmed from an intelligence report that showed over 30 people in the area cultivate the illicit drug. He asked the public to desist from growing cannabis without license.

He says during the crackdown, police destroyed about 7 acres of marijuana garden and the suspects were found with 25 kilograms of marijuana seeds. The suspects are being kept at Kwania central police station awaiting court.

Vincent Otile, the LC 2 chairman of Abwong says growing marijuana has caused a spike in criminality. According to Otile, his office has recorded over 30 cases of incest, theft and domestic violence within a spat of only two months attributing it to marijuana.

Cannabis remains illegal in Uganda. However, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 2015 legalised cultivation, production and exportation of medical marijuana and mandated the health minister to issue written consent for medical marijuana.

According to the guidelines, the cultivators must be cleared by the tax authorities, present evidence of value addition to cannabis and have minimum capital of $5m (Shs18.3Bn) and a bank guarantee of $1m (Shs4Bn).

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