MARIJUANA BUSINESS HITS IDPS IN NORTHERN UGANDA

The growing of the weed is threatening to break down the relative
peace among the communities of the returning internally displaced
people in northern Uganda. Sam Lawino and Paul Amoru write about the
lucrative trade that is fuelling the growing of marijuana

People in the Acholi sub-region are cutting their New Year
celebrations short, to worry about the news of a rising marijuana
business in the region.

The news of many people, most of whom are former displaced persons,
getting involved in the growing smoking of the deadly weed only
serve to add salt in the wound as the population is already worried
about the direction the Juba Peace process has taken.

Daily Monitor has established that marijuana smokers are becoming a
headache to former Internally Displaced Persons who had returned to
resettle at their ancestral homes following a lull of peace in the region.

The development is already threatening the life and safety of former
IDPs and is blamed on the rising demand of the weed by business
people in Gulu town and other towns across the region.

Last Saturday, angry communities of Bulku, (Omel Apem) in Paicho
sub- County, which is approximately 24 kilometres west of Gulu town,
nabbed a marijuana smoker while he took a nap and handed him to
police. But the suspect allegedly escaped from police and is said to
be in hiding.

The man identified as Esau Ojara was arrested after he destroyed his
father's house and drove his family members out of their home with a
matchete, the local LC I chairman of Omel A sub-ward, Mr Christopher
Ongom said.

"Our people are losing their patience having complained to the
authorities several times about these men who are disturbing the
peace and security of the community, especially of their women and
children," Mr Ongom said.

He alleged that Ojara had sold two basins of marijuana to some Gulu
town buyers but did not identify the people involved.

According to the LCI chairman, Ojara's colleague identified as Mr
Otto Tobi Lalugulugu has harvested a granary full of marijuana for
sale illegally.

"The men returned in 2007 from Tegot Atoo Hill and Cwero internally
displaced people's camps back to their village ahead of the rest of
the communities and began growing the narcotic drug," Ongom explained.

Bulku is a remote village formerly infested with the rebels of the
Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in the late 1996 to 2004.

One Agnes Alican, a resident of Bulku in Omel Apem village said that
people around the village had developed fears and could not carry on
with their normal daily activities in their gardens and homes
fearing attacks by the ganja men.

"We are living in fear because these men will not spare you after
they smoke the jai (marijuana) and they are very dangerous," Ms Alican said.

Marijuana is a narcotic drug and if taken for days can cause mental
illness or madness according to health experts.

Gulu Referral Hospital acting coordinator of Trans cultural
psychosocial organisation John Van Okwir said that psychosis, a
state of mental illness can be as a result of drug abuse.

He said that taking substances like alcohol and marijuana were the
factors leading to increased mental sickness alongside neurological
disorder in the Acholi sub-region.

Mr Okwir explained that neurological disorder which relates to
epileptic condition, depression, and mania and post traumatic
conditions has registered 70 per cent of mental sickness in the
hospital records.

"Patients with psychosis and neurosis are those related to taking
drugs, marijuana and alcohols abuses and these are very rampant
amongst the youth," he added.

Sergeant Ocaya Will, a police detective familiar with the problem
could not be reached for comment but a well placed police source
said that about 40 narcotic cases were recorded in Gulu alone last year.

"We are still compiling the figure but it's less than 40 in number
for the year 2008. Some of those arrested have since been
prosecuted," the source said.

He said the business was booming across neighbouring Kenya as
dealers move with it in their jackets and sell it to the Kenyan
markets at lucrative prices.

The source revealed that a handful of marijuana fetches between
Shs3,000 and Shs15,000 in illegal markets around Gulu town.

Police spokesman for Northern Uganda Johnson Kilama identified
places such as Lagoon in Laroo Division and Aywe- Layibi in Pece
Division Gulu Municipality as the common places where marijuana smokers hide.