BY NKECHI BAECHE-ESEZOBOR—The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has alerted the Nigerian public about the circulation of dangerous illicit substances being falsely packaged and marketed to the public as medicinal cannabis.
The public alert comes on the heels of credible intelligence, which led to the arrest of a 28-year-old drug kingpin Afeez Salisu (a.k.a Malu) on Saturday 1st November 2025 at his 2 Akala Street, off Umoru Street, Idi Oro, Mushin-Lagos enclave from where he was packaging and distributing the fake medicinal cannabis in designer pouches and cups.
A total of 16.4 kilograms of dangerous and synthetic strains of cannabis including Colorado, Arizona, Canadian Loud and Ghana Loud packaged in designer pouches and cups labelled as medicinal cannabis, were recovered from his store.
The Agency therefore wishes to warn Nigerians especially the youth that these so-called medicinal products are, in reality, adulterated and highly potent strains of dangerous psychoactive substances, and are not the regulated, safe pharmaceutical preparations they are purported to be.
Investigations by the Agency have confirmed that the seized and recovered products being peddled under the guise of therapeutic cannabis contain dangerously high concentrations of illicit and harmful strains of cannabis, including Loud, known for its extreme potency and severe psychological effects; Arizona, a highly concentrated and destructive variant of cannabis; and Colorado, a potent, often synthetic, strain with devastating consequences on the user’s mental and physical health.
Rather than the purported medicinal cannabis in the designer pouches and cups, the strains are highly addictive and pose a significant, immediate threat to public health and safety because they are associated with severe mental health issues, including psychosis, acute anxiety, paranoia, and other long-term cognitive impairments, especially among young people.
Speaking on the development, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) stated that “the criminal elements behind this deceit are only exploiting the global conversation around medicinal cannabis to push their illicit and life-destroying products into our communities. Cannabis remains a prohibited substance in Nigeria and as such any product being sold locally under the guise of ‘medicinal cannabis’ is not only fake, and dangerous but also illegal.”
The NDLEA boss urged the public to be vigilant and not be deceived by misleading labels, fancy packaging, or false health claims. “Please do not consume it, report any person or group involved in the illicit trade of these dangerous substances to the nearest NDLEA office”, he added.
