Marijuana Consumption Catching On With Pupils

A diversified form of marijuana consumption other than through smoking is catching on well with pupils in basic schools at Aflao in the Volta Region of Ghana. Drinking bars in the community are reported to lace alcoholic beverages especially “akpeteshie” with marijuana and have christened it "Under." Customers including ladies and pupils walk into the bars to demand “Under” and they are served. There is also a high patronage of the drug at the border.

The Aflao Police have denied knowledge of the practice but have said that the increasing crime wave in the area could be attributed to the use of hard drugs such as cocaine and marijuana by the youth. The lacing of alcoholic beverages with marijuana is very popular at Kodzoviakope, a border town in Togo.

At least eight people have so far been arrested at the Aflao border during the past 10 months by border security personnel for attempting to smuggle quantities of marijuana to Togo. Some of them are standing trial at the Aflao circuit court while others are being investigated.