A Tema based anti-narcotics organization Creg Afful Foundation(CAF) is demanding that President Nana Akufo-Addo declare the stand of his administration whether it will decriminalize the usage of marijuana or not.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, 29 October, 2017, the Executive Director of Creg Afful Foundation, Mr. Michael Creg Afful, indicated that it is imperative for Ghanaians to know the position of the President whether as a country we are ready to decriminalize marijuana or not.

“We want the President to come out to make a statement, a definite statement for that matter whether he is going to heed to those calls that have been made to have marijuana decriminalized or not,” he stated.

“We believe that whatever statement that will proceed from the mouth of our President will send a strong signal to those advocating for marijuana legalization,” he added.

The press conference was in response to statements by Musician Blakk Rasta, on 3FM on last Saturday to effect that his advocacy to have marijuana decriminalized will soon be realized.

Other key personalities who have also made similar calls are Professor Alex Doodo; Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) and former UN Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan.

They have argued that the country stands to benefit immensely if marijuana is decriminalized, stressing that “we can grow the herbs in commercial quantities, export it and earn foreign exchange.”

But Mr. Creg Afful rejected the proposal arguing that the country doesn’t lack resources at this moment to consider the legalization of marijuana for economic gains.

According to him, what the country is lacking are honest people to manage the resources to benefit all.

“Look in 2007, God was so good to us and we had oil in commercial quantities and in 2010 we started exploiting this oil. We have even discovered more and we’re yet to exploit it. We have gold, we bauxite deposit at Nyinahini and there are other natural resources that we have not even tapped. Have we finished exploiting these minerals to now turn to exploit marijuana to grow our economy? The answer is no! What we lack is honest leaders. So the proposed marijuana legalization is not reasonable,” Mr. Creg Afful said.

Contrary to the assertion that legalization of marijuana will be beneficial to the economy, Mr Creg Afful, said the country will do itself evil by legalizing marijuana, saying, “There is going to be a sharp rise in mental cases, crime and other social vices.”

“You will bear me witness. You and I live in areas where we see wee smokers. I’m talking about Tema community 1, Tema New town, Ashaiman and other areas…See their behaviour and their health status. Anybody who smokes “weed” and engages in criminal activity is a dangerous person. We don’t want our youth to go mad and become threats to the security of this nation. That is why we are calling on His Excellency the President to make a statement about the position of his administration,” he said.

Mr. Creg Afful, who is also a broadcast journalist and evangelist with the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) in Tema, insisted that the Narcotics Drugs Control and Enforcement Law 1990 PNDC law 236 which criminalizes possession, cultivation, importation and administration of any narcotic drug said the law should be maintained in its current form.

Making a moral argument in relations to calls for legalization of marijuana, Mr. Creg Afful quoted 1Corinthians 10:23 which states that “All things are lawful (that is morally, legitimate, permissible) but not all things are beneficial or advantageous. All things are lawful but not all things are constructive (to character and edifying to spiritual life” to buttress his point.

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world (wealth, fame, success)but forfeits his soul or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Mr Creg Afful quoted Matthew 16:26 as saying.