The executive director of the hospital, Dr. Juliet Nakku, made the appeal while appearing before the committee this week.
Nakku and her team appeared before the committee debating the Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Bill 2023. The team said legalising Khat and Cannabis would only precipitate the mental health crisis already in the country.
She cautioned members of parliament (MP) to exercise extreme caution as they consider the laws on Khat and Cannabis.
Nakku said that both Cannabis and Khat have a negative impact on Ugandans, particularly the youth, who are more inclined to abuse them after they are legalised.
"The amounts required to reach euphoria tend to increase with repeated use; hence, people get into what we call tolerance. Tolerance is when you start to need a high amount of a particular substance to get the same effect that you got," Nakku warned.
The Butabika Hospital appeal comes against the backdrop of a request by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, to have Cannabis legalised and produced under controlled circumstances.
Otafiire said cannabis could be useful in the treatment of a number of illnesses, such as epilepsy and COVID-19, among others.
"The portion of cannabis that would be legal is medical in nature and would therefore be advantageous to Ugandans," he said.
Otafiire further said that the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Bill, which is currently before the committee on defence and internal affairs, is intended to reflect the legality of the substance and its control by an assigned ministry.
He urged the MPs to put anything concerning the substances under his docket, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, arguing that someone would have to be accountable for their legal use.
In 2019, the Government revealed plans to legalise cannabis growing. This was revealed by the then Prime Minister, Ruhakana Rugunda, who said the Government had plans to issue licences to cannabis-growing companies.