Volta Regional House of Chiefs President raises concern over proliferation of marijuana farms, school dropouts
The President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, Togbe Tepre Hodo IV, has raised alarm over the growing spread of marijuana farms in the region, warning that it is fueling a troubling rise in school dropouts among children.
Speaking during a recent meeting of the Regional House of Chiefs in Ho, Togbe Hodo expressed deep concern about how the cultivation and illegal trade of marijuana—commonly known as “wee”—is luring many young people, including schoolchildren, away from education and into drug-related activities.
According to him, some families are now depending on income from marijuana cultivation, a trend he said is eroding traditional values and jeopardizing the educational future of the region’s youth.
“Now, this is a special message to our Regional Minister. We also have our own intelligence on the ground, and it has been brought to my attention that marijuana farms are springing up all over the region,” he said.
“Since the passage of the Narcotics Control Commission Act, which permits the licensed cultivation of a specific species of marijuana for medicinal purposes, many people seem to have interpreted it as a green light to grow any type of marijuana for recreational use. This is not only illegal but highly dangerous,” he added.
Togbe Hodo further noted that the trend has reached a point where even schoolchildren are abandoning classrooms to work on these farms.
“This poses a serious threat to the future of the Volta Region,” he cautioned.
He also raised concerns about rising drug use among the youth, highlighting a substance called “Red.”
“I hear there’s something out there called ‘Red.’ I don’t understand how you can take a drug that makes you sleep while standing. It’s becoming a very serious issue,” he lamented.
Togbe Hodo appealed to the Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, to take urgent action.
“Minister, please help us help our communities to curb these habits, which are gradually destroying our region. If we continue on this path, I fear that in the next few years, we won’t have capable young men and women to work for the future of our region,” he said.
Source: Odehyeba Owusu Job
