By: Nderitu Brian
Worth Noting:
- According to Johnson and Wales University (JWU), decades of research have gone into using CBD to treat epilepsy and other seizure syndromes. A Recent study showed that it can have positive effects in reducing symptoms and seizure frequency. Studies have gone further to exploit the goods that come with CBD such as lowering blood pressure, treating anxiety disorders, reducing inflammation and many others.
- Prof Wajackoyah is legalizing marijuana with that perspective in mind that CBD can be used as a pharmaceutical and exported to many countries around the globe. Giving examples of countries like South Africa and Israel where they have already embarked on growth of marijuana and making good returns in exports.
Prof George Luchiri Wajackoyah is one of the most learned presidential candidate. Holding more than 14 degrees not forgetting his masters in law in the mighty university of Baltimore in the USA. That is just a snippet that this guy is no joke.
What has brought him to the limelight though is the audacity to say he will legalize marijuana if elected as the 5th commander in chief. The only presidential candidate in Kenya to have ever had that as one of his agenda. He argues that by growing this herb in Kenya, it will be a great deal after exporting the product thereby getting rid of the debt burden and also making Kenyans not to suffer as a result of ‘empty pockets’. This is by ensuring they have money for their basic needs and more. Marijuana is worth a fortune and has a variety of markets around the globe. According to Prof Wajackoya exportation of cannabis/marijuana is the answer to get Kenya’s economy back to the rising graph again.
The right thinking members of the society nevertheless are against this since they know only the negative sides of using this herb. Arguing that it has turned many men to ‘boys’. Speaking at the JK live on citizen TV, however Wajackoyah clarified and expounded on the positives brought about by marijuana. Together with his running mate Justina Wamae, they pleaded with Kenyans to change their perspective of how they look at it and ‘think outside the box’.
Cannabis has two components that is; Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabinoids (CBD). Benefits of CBD are numerous such as in medication where not only has CBD been used to help alleviate the effects of chemotherapy, but studies has also found it can prevent cell growth and induce cell death in cervical cell lines. It also has many anti-cancer effects that helps prevent a variety of cancers. CBD treat tumours and benefits the immune system.
According to Johnson and Wales university (JWU), decades of research have gone into using CBD to treat epilepsy and other seizure syndromes. A Recent study showed that it can have positive effects in reducing symptoms and seizure frequency. Studies have gone further to exploit the goods that come with CBD such as lowering blood pressure, treating anxiety disorders, reducing inflammation and many others.
Prof Wajackoyah is legalizing marijuana with that perspective in mind that CBD can be used as a pharmaceutical and exported to many countries around the globe. Giving examples of countries like South Africa and Israel where they have already embarked on growth of marijuana and making good returns in exports.
However on the other hand, the other component of marijuana which is Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which carries the blame for the negative effects as a result of consuming marijuana. According to WebMD an American corporation on matters health, THC stimulates the part of your brain that responds to pleasure, like food and sex. It unleashes a chemical called dopamine which gives you a relaxed feeling. It also affects your mental health because it often leave you anxious, afraid, panicked, or paranoid. THC makes you lose touch with reality so you hear or see things that are not there. Commonly known as hallucinations or delusions.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) also distorts your thinking, impairs your brain, causes lung and heart complications among many other dreadful consequences.
This tends to be the complete opposite of CBD. It demolishes whatever good CBD has built. So generally marijuana is weakened by its stereotyped component called the THC.
This is where now the issue of regulations come in. What and what not be planted. According to Wajackoyah, the marijuana seeds to be planted will only constitute CBD component getting rid of the THC. Governing bodies such as KEBS and Kenya seed company will be surveying by going from farm to farm of those individuals who would like to participate in this mega project to make sure that the seed planted contains CBD and CBD alone. Whoever goes against that will have to face the wrath of the law.
Adding onto the benefits of marijuana, his running mate Justina Wamae highlighted on the countless nutritional benefits found in the CBD. The likes of Omega 3 which provide the starting point for making hormones that regulate blood clotting, contraction and relaxation of artery walls and inflammation.
The final and the most paramount part is its benefit to the economy brought about as a result of legalizing, growing and finally exporting the product. Wajackoyah has already established various markets where the product will be exported to. He disclosed that last week, he held a meeting with delegates in the US and Canada and discussed the market of this particular product. These countries will be the main beneficiaries of the Hemp seeds.
When we come to the reality now, doing the math and we find out how the profit and job market works. Weed is exported in form of Hemp seeds where 1 pound of hemp goes for 265 US dollars. A cargo plane flying to the US with 200,000 pounds of hemp, that’s an approximate of 53 million US dollars. That is 5.5 billion Kenyan shillings in returns. If you want to produce one ton per year, that’s approximately five crops per year. Each crop is about 400 pounds, which requires about a 10,000 square foot greenhouse.
If taken to serious consideration, this idea is huge and can serve as a big deal to the economy of this country. I wish Prof Wajackoyah well in this electioneering period and if he doesn’t clinch the statehouse job, whoever does should actualize this bright idea.
