The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has issued a public warning against the spread of counterfeit medicinal cannabis containing harmful illicit substances.
This alert follows the arrest of 28-year-old drug kingpin Afeez Salisu, also known as Malu, on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
Salisu was apprehended at his hideout on 2 Akala Street, off Umoru Street in Idi Oro, Mushin, Lagos, where he was found packaging and distributing fake medicinal cannabis in branded pouches and cups.
Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media & Advocacy, confirmed that authorities seized a total of 16.4 kilograms of synthetic cannabis variants, including dangerous strains labeled as Colorado, Arizona, Canadian Loud, and Ghana Loud.
These substances were disguised in designer packaging falsely marketed as medicinal cannabis, posing serious health risks to users, NDLEA chairman Brigadier General Buba Marwa also warned.
“The Agency therefore wishes to warn Nigerians, especially the youth that these so-called medicinal products are, in reality, adulterated and highly potent strains of dangerous psychoactive substances, and are not the regulated, safe pharmaceutical preparations they are purported to be,” the press statement explains.
According to the statement, investigations by the Agency have confirmed that the seized and recovered products being peddled under the guise of therapeutic cannabis contain dangerously high concentrations of illicit and harmful strains of cannabis, including Loud, known for its extreme potency and severe psychological effects; Arizona, a highly concentrated and destructive variant of cannabis; and Colorado, a potent, often synthetic strain with devastating consequences on the user's mental and physical health.
Rather than the purported medicinal cannabis in the designer pouches and cups, the strains, it stated, are highly addictive and pose a significant, immediate threat to public health and safety because they are associated with severe mental health issues, including psychosis, acute anxiety, paranoia, and other long-term cognitive impairments, especially among young people.
Speaking on the development, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) stated that "the criminal elements behind this deceit are only exploiting the global conversation around medicinal cannabis to push their illicit and life-destroying products into our communities. Cannabis remains a prohibited substance in Nigeria and as such any product being sold locally under the guise of 'medicinal cannabis' is not only fake, and dangerous but also illegal."
The NDLEA boss urged the public to be vigilant and not be deceived by misleading labels, fancy packaging, or false health claims.
“Please do not consume it, report any person or group involved in the illicit trade of these dangerous substances to the nearest NDLEA office,” he added.
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