The number of Kenyans using cannabis has increased over the years with more youth consuming the illegal substance, the latest report by NACADA shows.
In a report released on Friday, the prevalence of cannabis use stands at 1.9 per cent among Kenyans aged 15 to 65 which is 518,807 people while the use among the ages of 15 to 24 is 2.7 per cent which is 193, 430.
The report shows one in every 26 males and one in every 333 females are currently using cannabis.
The report further shows the minimum age of initiation into drug and substance abuse to be six years.
From the report, one in six Kenyans aged between 15 and 65 years translating to 4.7 million Kenyans are currently using one form of substance while alcohol is the most widely abused substance with one in eight Kenyans aged 15 to 65 or three million people currently using alcohol.
In recent times, scientists have also proven that bhang has medicinal value and can be used to treat digestive issues, headaches, pains, and anxiety and also bring relief to patients with nerve pain, arthritis and insomnia.
However, the possession, sale and consumption of bhang are illegal in Kenya, but the trade has been going on with police making several arrests.
The sheer scale of trade in the banned substance makes it impossible for the police to catch everybody involved in it.
In 2022, National Police Service (NPS) re-emphasized the government’s stance on the cannabis sativa plant, popularly known as bhang, which has long been illegal.
NPS said that underscored that the negative effects of bhang overshadow its perceived ‘advantages.’
