{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Trusted News Uganda","provider_url":"https:\/\/trustednewsug.com","author_name":"Admin","author_url":"https:\/\/trustednewsug.com\/index.php\/author\/kabuye\/","title":"Legalise medical cannabis - Minister Otafiire - Trusted News Uganda","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"ElFA2nP1qo\"><a href=\"https:\/\/trustednewsug.com\/index.php\/2023\/07\/07\/legalise-medical-cannabis-minister-otafiire\/\">Legalise medical cannabis &#8211; Minister Otafiire<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/trustednewsug.com\/index.php\/2023\/07\/07\/legalise-medical-cannabis-minister-otafiire\/embed\/#?secret=ElFA2nP1qo\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Legalise medical cannabis &#8211; Minister Otafiire&#8221; &#8212; Trusted News Uganda\" data-secret=\"ElFA2nP1qo\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/trustednewsug.com\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/trustednewsug.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Otafiire-before-defence-committee-over-cannabis.jpeg","thumbnail_width":1080,"thumbnail_height":720,"description":"The Minister of Internal Affairs, Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire, has asked Parliament to decriminalise cannabis for medical use, saying the old position of the law should yield to new scientific findings that endorse the herb as medicine. Hon. Kahinda Otafiire, who led a team of top officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to submit on the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Bill, revealed that there was no point in the continued criminalisation of cannabis, given its growing importance in medicine. He also defended the use of khat. \u201cI want to remove khat and part of cannabis from prohibited substances; when you consider khat and alcohol, khat is kindergarten pleasure; you cannot sell alcohol and prohibit khat,\u201d he said during their interaction with the Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs on Thursday, 06 July 2023 at Parliament. He added: \u201cCannabis has now become something we get for medicinal substance; the medicinal plant is a multi-billion-dollar business; it is grown widely in Canada, the United States and other countries.\u201d The committee chairperson and also Nyabushozi County MP, Hon. Wilson Kajwengye, implored that the ministry explicitly defines the kind of cannabis they seek to promote. \u201cAre we able to tell which cannabis is medical, and which one is used for medicinal purposes?\u201d he asked. Mr Kepher Kuchana, the Director of the Government Analytical Laboratory, said there is new research that should persuade Parliament into allowing medicinal use of cannabis. \u201cOur agency did research on cannabis, using a sample obtained from Arua and the entire West Nile region known as azaghi; it is currently being used by the youth and we found that it indeed has some constituent elements which enhances a sports person,\u201d he said, drawing instant objection from Hon. Kajwengye, who said its use by athletes is effectively doping, which will damage the industry and kill talents. The committee then asked Kuchana to present comprehensive scientific findings that support the theory of medical cannabis to guide the committee\u2019s decision-making. Representatives of Wakiso Miraa Growers and Dealers Association Limited also appeared to defend khat, saying it should not be classified as a prohibited substance. They successfully petitioned the Constitutional Court, which annulled the previously enacted Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Act, for being passed without quorum. Ms Isabella Nakiyonga, the association\u2019s lawyer, urged the committee to leave khat out of the Bill. \u201c\u2026we wrote and served a letter addressed to the Rt Hon. Speaker, the Hon. Minister of Internal Affairs and the Hon. Attorney General on 18 May 2023 cautioning them against the inclusion of Catha edulis (khat) in any future Bills relating to drug and substance control,\u201d she said. Ms Nakiyonga protested the legality of the committee\u2019s proceedings, saying the Attorney General has served her clients with a notice to appeal the judgment throwing out the Bill, and that entertaining the matter \u201coffends the principles against approbation and reprobation, sub judice and non-interference with the judicial machinery.\u201d The Deputy Attorney General, Hon. Jackson Kafuuzi, has, however, written to the Clerk to Parliament, Adolf Mwesige Kasaija, guiding the committee to proceed with the Bill. &nbsp;"}