The Deputy Director of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Alexander Twum-Barima, has expressed concern over what he describes as a growing trend of cannabis-infused food products being sold on tertiary education campuses across the country.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Thursday, Mr Twum-Barima disclosed that some students are allegedly operating food and beverage vending points on university campuses where products laced with cannabis are being sold to fellow students.
According to him, one of the emerging practices involves the sale of cannabis-infused ice cream through stands set up within campus communities.
“It is very difficult to understand why someone who is in the university will decide to set up a stand during school activity time, and what he or she is doing is not giving out books, or flyers, educational related to colleagues, rather he or she decides to sell an infused-cannabis product. So you go to that stand to buy ice cream, and that ice cream you are buying is cannabis infused,” he said.
Mr Twum-Barima further revealed that investigations and reports received by the Commission indicate that other popular food items are also being infused with cannabis and sold discreetly.
He cited the commonly consumed local snack of eggs and pepper as one example.
“This egg and pepper, the normal egg and pepper that they sell by the roadside, has cannabis infused in it,” he stated.
“The cannabis is in the pepper. And there were others who were selling raw cannabis to other colleagues to take and get destroyed,” he added.
The NACOC official warned that the development poses serious public health, safety and regulatory concerns, particularly within educational institutions where students may unknowingly consume such products or become exposed to illicit substances.
He cautioned that the proliferation of cannabis-infused foods could negatively affect student wellbeing, academic performance and campus safety if left unchecked.
According to Mr Twum-Barima, the Commission is intensifying surveillance and monitoring activities on tertiary campuses while also expanding public education and sensitisation programmes aimed at discouraging drug use among young people.
He said the measures form part of broader efforts by NACOC to combat drug-related activities in educational institutions and protect students from the risks associated with substance abuse.
The Commission has urged students, university authorities and the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities involving the sale or distribution of illicit substances on campuses.
