The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has alerted the Nigerian public about the circulation of dangerous illicit substances being falsely packaged and marketed to the public as medicinal cannabis.
NDLEA said the public alert became necessary following credible intelligence, which led to the arrest of a 28-year-old drug kingpin Afeez Salisu (a.k.a Malu) on November 1, 2025, at his 2 Akala Street, off Umoru Street, Idi Oro, Mushin-Lagos.
Spokesman, Femi Babafemi said it was the enclave from where he was packaging and distributing the fake medicinal cannabis in designer pouches and cups.
“A total of 16.4 kilograms of dangerous and synthetic strains of cannabis including Colorado, Arizona, Canadian Loud and Ghana Loud packaged in designer pouches and cups labelled as medicinal cannabis, were recovered from his store.
“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.
“ 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 are highly addictive and pose a significant, immediate threat to public health and safety because they are associated with severe mental health issues.
“These include psychosis, acute anxiety, paranoia, and other long-term cognitive impairments, especially among young people”.