by Linda Straker
- Rastafarians will be able to use marijuana solely for religious purposes
- Marijuana smoking in a public place will be prohibited
- Minister may prescribe approved public places for smoking of cannabis or cannabis resin
Members of Parliament in Grenada will soon be publicly debating on a Bill that seeks to decriminalise the use of marijuana, and for anyone over the age of 18 to have no more than 28 grams in his or her possession for personal use.
Agriculture Minister Peter David is set to table the Bill that will mandate lawmakers to amend the Drug Abuse (Prevention and Control) Act at the upcoming session of Parliament. The amendment will allow the use of cannabis by Rastafarians in places of worship. It will also allow individuals who have attained the age of 18 years to produce, supply, or offer to supply a small amount of cannabis.
Six amendments and one insertion will be made to the Drug Abuse legislation. The main objectives of the amendments are to allow anyone over 18 to be in possession of 28 grams or 0.987671 ounces of marijuana, and to allow each homeowner over the age of 18 to grow no more than 5 trees. Rastafarians will be able to use marijuana solely for religious purposes as a sacrament in adherence to the Rastafarian faith and at a place of worship.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Act, the Minister may, by order designate any premises or place as a place of worship of the Rastafarian faith for the purposes of this Act.
Despite the legislation for people to be in possession of marijuana, smoking in a public place will be prohibited. A person who smokes or uses cannabis or cannabis resin in a public place commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of EC$500.
However, the Minister under whose portfolio the law will fall may by order prescribe a list of approved public places where the smoking of cannabis or cannabis resin may be allowed.
A person who, whilst under the influence of cannabis operates, navigates, or is in actual physical control of any motor vehicles, aircraft, or ship; or does anything which constitutes negligence, professional malpractice or professional misconduct commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of EC$500.
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Guess elections indeed coming up. Usual topic of two. Next one soon start again is oil. Allyuh good oui.
Jen Jen while you might have personal reasons for stating that the smoke emitted from marijuana might be irritating to kids with asthma, I could tell a completely different story which I had personally experienced. One of my best friends had been suffering for years as a child with asthma and had to be wearing those thick flannel vests into his teen years. Then he chanced upon the use of marijuana and as they say the rest is history. No longer was there the need for those vests and my friend was always front and center in testifying about his marijuana epiphany, as have so many other people on TV and other media. My friend is no longer around to bear witness to this but it was one of the factors which have always propelled me to have an open mind regarding marijuana use and decriminalization. Even so, we still have to be careful about how we transition to the new post-prohibition society. Marijuana contains multiple chemical compounds and the chemical reaction with the brain is not the same for everyone. As is the case with penicillin, some people have absolutely no tolerance for certain drugs and could go staring mad through exposure to the smallest quantity of the substances present in marijuana. I had personally experienced at least one such instance. And so, short of a blood test or some other means of predetermining whether certain people might be adversely affected by marijuana, a system of unbiased, objective and “hands on” education must be put in place to ensure that any possible negative impact of the new deal is preempted and minimized to the greatest possible extent. The powers-that-be should show their good faith by immediately expunging the records of the hundreds of persons who have suffered as a consequence of the previous laws and remove all obstacles bearing on such laws until the pending legislation is formally adopted. Meanwhile congratulations to Minister Peter David and the Mitchell Administration for finally summoning the guts to make this bold move although it is definitely long overdue.
It is about time and while they are at it think about how to clear things up with all the youth man they have imprisioned over the years. No its no alright.
No smoking in public places please!!!
NO PUBLIC PLACES. The stink of the weed brings on asthma attacks, you can’t control children being exposed to the smoke. If this is for religious reasons then definitely not
all over the place.
You haven’t addressed personal use, growing of a resident’s own plants for medicinal use WITH A PERMIT, what regulations regarding the growing and sale, the locations of stores AWAY from schools, playgrounds anywhere children can be found, limits of how much can be purchased, or what the regulations will be fir the sale and purchase of ganja.
About time this gets done.