Top Tanzania ranking on marijuana excites Tanzanians on social media
Dar es Salaam. The ranking of Tanzania as a leading consumer of marijuana in East Africa has excited netizens who offered mixed views on the ranking.
Offering their views why Tanzanians could be using more marijuana than Kenyans and Ugandans, some social media users said they were not surprised after all.
Others said that potential has always existed and pointed to the recent clamour to legalise the use of the banned substance, even if for medical purposes and trade only.
A report by UK’s New Frontier Data put Tanzania tops in EAC in consumption of cannabis followed by Kenya and Uganda in that order. Nearly one million more Tanzanians smoked marijuana than Ugandans, the report indicated.
One excited Prince Kimati on twitter wrote: ‘Legalise it’ accompanying his tweet with laughter emojis.
Sam Igenge replying to Hamad Hamisi wrote: Wange turuhusu hata kwa mwezi then wachukuwe data nafikiri tungeongoza Africa. (If only they could allow us for one month I think we could have led).
Conscious@diwahoza wants marijuana legalised soon and he wrote: Why am I not surprised …….legalise it expeditiously.”
According to the report, Tanzania leads the two other populous nations Kenya with 3.3 million consumers and ranked sixth in Africa while Uganda with 2.6 million consumers is ranked eighth in Africa.
Top consumers in Africa, according to the report, are Nigeria with 20.8 million users, Ethiopia with 7.1 million people, Egypt 5.9 million people and DR Congo taking the fourth slot with 5 million people.
According to the study, Nigeria has the world’s highest rate of cannabis use, with 19.4 per cent of its population aged 15 and above having consumed it in the past year.
In 2018, Africa recorded a staggering value of up to $37 billion worth of marijuana consumed on the continent.
In Africa, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Uganda are among countries that have cleared the medical application of marijuana. Kenya activists have opened a case in the high court to push for its legalisation.
Last week, Tanzanian Member of Parliament Jumanne Kishimba of Tabora Urban (CCM) urged the government to legalise the use of marijuana for medical purposes.
He told Parliament in Dodoma that Tanzania could make a lot of money from its growing of marijuana.
