Exit shisha- Entry bhang

   

All of us are in agreement 2017 was a year that will go down in history of our country as the year to remember. It’s the year we saw many things, we had two presidential elections; two presidents one who refused to take part in the repeat elections and one who ran against himself. The ban on shisha was the highlight of the year as it was the preferred drug of choice for those slay queens who milked the boy child dry overtaking Guarana and Snapp. The ban was a blessing in disguise for the boy child, at least a good number of them could now divert a significant amount of the 800 shillings per round of this addictive drug investing it on sports betting with the hope of being the next Gordon Ogada. The debate on legalizing marijuana for health purposes was the pinnacle of online and offline discussions spearheaded by researcher Gwada Ogot.

De facto boy child commander in chief Cyprian Nyakundi still maintains that the ban was a well calculated move to slowly kill the vibrant nightlife in most urban areas, however, Mr. President here I beg to differ shisha is more harmful to human existence compared to bhang.

What would happen if we legalize the “herb” instead? Yes the “herb”, am not talking about kales or pigweed which are peddled at your nearby Mama Mboga’s outlet, am talking about the legalization of bhang. Though it hasn’t been legalized it remains the most consumed drug, not a month passes by without a serious consignment of trafficked bang being impounded along our highways, what of those which aren’t impounded. Peddlers are at every street corner, institutions of higher learning and neighborhoods paying protection fees to relevant authorities to allow for smooth operations.    

Kenyans can’t stay for long without putting something in their mouths, by something I mean anything. Have you ever wondered why kids grow chewing pencils, rubber “eraser” and ink pens in primary before graduating to biro pens in high school and campus? Have you asked yourself why? This is a topic for another day.

It is common knowledge that bhang is a dreaded drug associated dreadlocked individuals. You can find out about the cons at your own time if you have just landed, we live in a country where we have only been taught about the negative effects of bhang day in day out since we started comprehending the alphabetical chart., let’s talk about the pros, unlike tobacco contained in cigars and shisha where the passive smoker is more exposed to the risk of cancer than the active smoker the scent of bhang alone, researchers say is pleasant. Here it means that it doesn’t have that choking effect you experience when someone puffs cigarette next to you destroying your lungs with stuffed tobacco.

Everybody is talking about crime and the way to reduce it, how many acres of land in the countryside are uncultivated because the youth are seeking greener pastures in urban areas? What if parliament passes legalizes marijuana? How many people will go back to the rural areas decongesting cities reducing muggers and pick pockets? Those cultivating the herb, transporting it, and peddling it will have peace and a legit source of incoming making them more productive and beneficial to the society.

The only thing on everyone’s’ lips is how the government is broke, imagine how much tax the government could obtain directly and indirectly? Apart from the economic and social positives of legalizing the drug, medical scientists have found out that controlled amounts of marijuana intake health benefits. Marijuana relieves chronic pains and epileptic seizures. It also helps in stopping the spread of the cancerous cells. It also protects the brain from possible tumors’ after a concussion.