Hidden deep inside the forest, without any discernible route, somewhere in the sleepy town of Ogotun-Ekiti, Ekiti South-West Local Government Area, is a plantation of a dangerous plant, cannabis sativa, also known as indian hemp. Cannabis sativa is reputed with many aliases which are: igbo, dope, ganja, morocco, eja and weed among others.

The cultivation and use of marijuana is rapidly rising across Africa as farmers, hit by low commodity prices, increasingly see the drug as a cash crop.

Pressure for legalizing marijuana is increasing in many African countries as legalized pot in the U.S. and Uruguay leads the way.

“At the moment, farmers choose to cultivate marijuana over traditional crops because it commands a far higher market price on the black market both at home and abroad,” Zambian Green Party President Peter Sinkamba told Anadolu Agency.

The Colorado Department of Revenue reported $70 million in tax revenue from the sale of recreational marijuana, between July 2014 and June 2015. This history-making record easily topped the $42 million revenue the state made from alcohol in the United States within the same period of time. Marijuana has been so productive in Colorado that the state issued a tax holiday for marijuana items, proving that legalisation and proper regulation of the drug can significantly contribute its quota to revenue in any economy.

Seun Kuti who is a famous marijuana user spoke for the legalization of 'weed' in an interview with The Nation newspaper.

A landmark report by the West Africa Commission on Drugs (WACD) in June 2014, “Not Just for Transit: Drugs, the State and Society in West Africa”, emphasized decriminalizing some degree of narcotic drug use and possession for personal use, while calling for drug traffickers and their accomplices to face the full force of the law. This sensible recommendation is particularly appropriate for marijuana or cannabis, which is widely cultivated and used in West Africa. Its users, partly because they are mostly young and poor, continue to be disproportionately penalized by the criminal justice systems in the region – a serious human rights and governance problem. This violation must be urgently stopped.

Afro beat singer, Seun Kuti, has said that the Nigerian government was ill advised to ban the use of marijuana, believing that the decision is a carryover of colonial law.

According to the artiste, “There are doctors and scientists who believe that marijuana should be legalised. There are also lawyers, judges, and politicians who believe that the war on drugs is a false war. That is actually a war on the poor people all over the world, because poor people and rich people use drugs to be sane. But you will find that here, people are in jail more for drug use.”

Cannabis SativaIt sounds absurd but it is true. The banned and neglected cannabis or rather marijuana popularly called 'Igbo' in Nigeria may be the next best treatment for cancers. New report suggests cannabis can kill cancer cells and shrink one of the most serious types of brain tumours. CHUKWUMA MUANYA writes.

Botanically called Cannabis sativa and more commonly known as marijuana, Cannabis is a hemp plant that grows freely throughout the world. The cannabis plant most commonly is known today as a potent psychoactive substance, but for many years it was harvested primarily for its fibre.

However, new advice published in DailyMailOnline reveals cannabis can kill cancer cells and shrink one of the most serious types of brain tumours.