NACOC Warns of Marijuana Disguised as Tea Bags Targeting Ghanaian Schoolchildren
The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has raised alarms over a disturbing new trend where marijuana, locally known as “wee,” is being packaged as innocuous tea bags and smuggled into senior high schools (SHS) across Ghana, specifically targeting young students.
This method, described as a clever ploy to evade detection, underscores the escalating drug abuse crisis infiltrating educational institutions.
In a television interview on Woezor TV aired September 28, 2025, NACOC Deputy Director-General Alexander Twum-Barimah revealed a recent incident in Asamankese, Eastern Region, where a Form One student was caught with one such tea bag concealed in his school bag.
“During my conversation with the District Chief Executive, he mentioned that a Form One student was coming to school and among his belongings, a wee tea bag was found,” Twum-Barimah recounted, highlighting how the substance is now disguised to blend with everyday items.
Twum-Barimah expressed deep concern over the dropping age of drug users, noting the spread beyond SHS to basic schools. He cited another case of a 16-year-old boy apprehended with two sticks of marijuana, questioning, “Sixteen? Two sticks. Why should that happen?”
The issue has grown so pervasive that district assemblies are clamoring for local NACOC offices, with new branches already established in Asamankese District, Adansi Municipality, and Ashanti Akim District to bolster enforcement.
On the enforcement front, NACOC has ramped up crackdowns, shutting down six drugstores and two pharmacies for peddling unapproved high-dose tramadol. “As I sit here, we have closed not less than six drugstores and two pharmacies. We will continue to close more,” Twum-Barimah affirmed. He clarified that while tramadol isn’t outright banned, dosages above 100mg require a physician’s prescription, with anything higher illegal.
Twum-Barimah shared a personal anecdote of a motor rider, possibly under the influence, crashing into his car while speeding, illustrating the real-world perils of drug-impaired behavior. Under Director-General Brigadier General Mantey, NACOC remains resolute: “We have a leadership that is determined to do what is right, and even if we cannot eradicate drug use completely, we will bring it to the barest minimum.”
