Latest update January 18th, 2025 7:00 AM
Social Activist says positions on new ganja legislation should be reconsidered
“Politicians smoke marijuana…judges smoke marijuana…police smoke marijuana, no one can tell me different. I’m not for the legalization of marijuana, I’m for the decriminalization of possession of small amounts of marijuana,” Social Activist Mark Benschop said.
He stated that the Government and the Opposition should reconsider their positions on the new Narcotics Drug and Psychotropic Substances (Control) (Amendment) Bill 2015 and decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
The bill, which was expected to be tabled in parliament last week, was instead pushed aside and sent to a select committee while “many people are being incarcerated for a minor offence,” Benschop stated.
He said the Government and the Opposition should stop “pussyfooting” on the issue and bring change. “Not all bills should go to a select committee. This is a straightforward issue—decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana and stop wasting time,” he argued.
Social Activist Mark Benschop
Attorney General and Minster of Legal Affairs Basil Williams had stated the bill could not be tabled because it is protocol for draft legislation to be brought first to the Cabinet level. “That Bill hasn’t come to the House under the hand of the government and Cabinet has not discussed the matter… it has not been discussed in Cabinet sub-committee which is headed by the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister is the Leader in the House and he had no idea about the Bill; the nature of the Bill, the contents of the Bill,” Williams said, indicating that based on the procedures the piece of legislation would not be brought to the National Assembly at this time.
The amendment is expected to remove provisions of the Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances Control Act 1988, which requires Magistrates to imprison anyone who pleads guilty to or has been found guilty of possession of marijuana. Presently, the law indicates that anyone found in possession of marijuana is liable to a fine of $10,000 or three times the monetary value of the drug. If in excess of fifteen grams of cannabis it is mandated that the offender should be sentenced to a minimum of three years imprisonment.
The bill was drafted by attorney Nigel Hughes and Mark Waldron following the imprisonment of national football coach, Vibert Butts, for possession of marijuana.
“The rest of the world is moving forward and decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana while we are stagnant,” Benschop continued to argue, insisting that the amendment of the ACT would curb the present crime wave and give first-time offenders a second chance.
“I hope the government and the Opposition will rethink their positions and not send it to a select committee, because when I first heard that it is not been tabled, I felt like the government didn’t have the concerns of the citizens at heart,” he said.
He said while the country would be waiting on recommendations from the committee scores of young people would be incarcerated for a meagre offence. He noted further that the Government should not be afraid that if they approved the bill people will start lighting up the streets with marijuana.
“The decriminalization doesn’t give them the right to walk the streets and light up…that should be done in private.
Williams also expressed support for the bill but stated that it should undergo national consultation.
“…certainly possession of certain amounts should not attract custodial sentences…I thought in marginal cases considerations could be given for non-custodial sentences,” he said, adding that he was an advocate for non-custodial sentences for small amounts of marijuana.
Rastafarians are also asking that the government remove the mandatory imprisonment for persons convicted of two ounces or 56 grammes of marijuana for personal use.
There are also reports circulating that the community is lobbying for the drug to be legalized.
Attorney Hughes does not believe that the new Narcotics Drug and Psychotropic Substances (Control) (Amendment) Bill 2015 should be sent to a select committee prior to it being tabled in the Parliament.
He purported that select committee deliberations were known for being notoriously “slow and protracted”.
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