Unveiling the Dual Faces of Cannabis: NMU Researcher Musa Aminu Illuminates the Struggle with Cannabis Use Disorder

Nelson Mandela University's Musa Aminu brings a unique blend of personal experience and scientific inquiry to the study of cannabis use disorder (CUD), a condition affecting a subset of cannabis users leading to significant impairment in their daily lives. Despite the global wave of cannabis legalization and its touted medical benefits, Aminu's research underscores the necessity of a cautious approach, especially in Africa, where he has witnessed the disorder's silent yet destructive ripple across communities.

Aminu, currently a PhD student in the department of human physiology at Nelson Mandela University, has a powerful driving force in his research – his own history with substance abuse. Selected for the distinguished Shango Fellowship, which aims to decolonize African research and medicine development, Aminu is on a mission to share the untold stories of those for whom cannabis brings harm rather than healing. Poised at the intersection of vulnerability and addiction, he underscores that solutions for one, like glaucoma treatment, might spell disaster for another, more susceptible to CUD.

Substance dependency is a slippery slope, and for Aminu, it began with tobacco and alcohol, eventually escalating to cannabis and later opioids. Reflecting on the substantial impact of his drug use, he explains how it impaired his cognitive abilities, namely his memory, sabotaging his academic performance even post-recovery. Today, standing strong with 14 years of sobriety, he credits his family's unwavering support as a cornerstone of his journey from addiction to advocacy.

Guided by Dr. Duyilemi Chris Ajonijebu from Nelson Mandela University, along with co-supervision from Professor William Daniels of Wits University, Aminu delves deep into the cellular and molecular mechanisms that make individuals with mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, more prone to develop CUD.

Amidst the exuberance surrounding cannabis legalization and the entrepreneurial rush to capitalize on 'green gold,' Aminu emphasizes the science lagging behind, especially in identifying those at risk. Through his research, he aspires to enrich the dialogue on cannabis's detrimental effects and influence policy and healthcare systems in dire need of keeping up with the disorder's growing prevalence.

Aminu's vision extends to community partnerships focused on prevention programs, educating on the genetic predispositions and psychoactive risks cannabis entails. His objective is not only to document the impact of cannabis misuse on the brain's circuitry but also to translate these findings into viable treatments.

As cannabis gains the spot of the most widely used legal drug globally, even surpassing alcohol in the United States, the importance of Aminu's research becomes more apparent. The scarcity of data on cannabis's impact in Africa accentuates the urgency for homegrown research to inform policies relevant to African populations.

Addressing the genetic and pathway linkages to CUD, Aminu and Ajonijebu acknowledge the long road ahead to fully comprehend and address the intergenerational transfer of susceptibilities to substance-related disorders. Their early findings hint at an impairment in dopamine pathways linked to sustained cannabis exposure, suggesting a complex web where addiction, depression, and anxiety intersect and potentially transcend generations.

This comprehensive research endeavor by Musa Aminu seeks to shed light on the darker spectrum of cannabis use, moving beyond the plant's glorification to confront the challenges hidden in its shadows, thus spearheading a new era of informed decision-making in healthcare and policy-making in Africa.