The Adumhene of Akwamufie in the Eastern Region, Nana Otu Akoto, is urging the government to legalize the selling and smoking of marijuana, locally known as wee, in Ghana.

He cited countries such as Holland that have legalised the illicit drugs in cafés where the government is “making good money out of”, suggesting that Ghana can follow suit.

Nana Otu Akoto who thinks governments’ efforts to clamp down on the drugs have been hypocritical, said he is backing the crusade to legalise the drug merely because he is a realist and wants the government to task legalized centres and barons .

“I am saying government should find a way of legalizing it so that it can be controlled, so that the state can make money,” he remarked, adding that this would also stop the underground trade of the illicit drugs.

He said successive governments have failed to combat the drugs because the barons are the same people financing their political activities.

The chief said lots of tax payers' money are used to ostensibly track and arrest the drug barons, an amount he said could have been channelled into “real needs” of Ghanaians such as education and water.

Akwamufie is a predominantly farming community, but when Nana Otu Akoto was asked if he had any intention of dealing in the drugs should it be legalised, he replied in the negative: “No no, I am a realist, I am looking at things from the benefit of the country.”

He said the above reason also informed his decision to join the call for homosexual activity to be recognised and legalised.

“I am not a homosexual but I said we should legalize the homosexuality because it is real in Ghana. When something is real, you don’t drive it underground.”

For instance, he said, even though the Presbyterian Church of Ghana condemned the act, they have set up a counseling office within the church to counsel and guide homosexuals within the church.

Source: Myjoyonline.com