by Linda Straker
- Government intends to amend legislation to decriminalise use of cannabis
- Intention is to “de-penalise” cannabis use in small quantities and permit growing of a small number of cannabis plants for personal purposes
- Possible amnesty for those convicted of possession in the past
Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said that there will be several restrictions in place when his government amends the legislation that will decriminalise the use of cannabis or marijuana for recreational, religious and medicinal use.
“We also want to make it clear that this will only be permissible most likely to persons 21 and over, and there are still going to be significant restrictions on likely no smoking of marijuana in public, absolutely no smoking around educational or school institutions and so on,” the Prime Minister said providing an update on the promise to decriminalise the use of marijuana.
The matter was raised on his weekly Tuesday “DMs with the PM” – an interactive one hour media programme aired on several traditional media houses as well as social media platforms, where questions on social, political or economic issues are submitted or asked live.
Mitchell, who is also the Minister for National Security, said that the intention of proposed legislation is to “de-penalise” cannabis use in small quantities and to also permit the growing of a small number of cannabis plants to facilitate for personal purposes in small quantities. The exact amount is going to be determined as part of the policy.
“We intend to establish a medicinal industry, a commercial as well as the religious and sacramental use of marijuana. So, in the case of religious and sacramental, certainly we are starting with the Rastafarian community who we know uses it as part of their religious practices, and from an industry commercial perspective we are seeking to enact legislation that will actually permit, via a licensing and permitting process, the growth and development of a medicinal marijuana industry,” he said.
“As part of this process, we are also looking to have an amnesty or expunging of records for persons who would have been convicted of possession of marijuana in the past, up to whatever amount we agree upon for small personal use.” The Prime Minister’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) party’s campaign in the 2022 general elections included the promise to legalise the use of cannabis.
“I want to emphasis that this is not a straightforward and simple answer as Grenada like most of the world is a signatory to certain treaty or conventions addressing the use of narcotics, and we have to comply with our international obligations in relations to those issues as well,” he said, giving the assurance that law enforcement will not be going after people for a marijuana spliff.
“We certainly don’t want our officers spending their time chasing someone for a marijuana spliff; we think there are certain better ways in which those resources can be utilised,” he said, reiterating that several restrictions will be put in place.
People will sell their souls for money only to realize in the end how damning it was. There is not an ounce of good in cannabis/weed/marijuana. The so called money to be gained from legalizing it will be spent on repairing the island after cannabis destroys it. A mind is a terrible thing to waste.
If you’re in two minds about this try employing someone who uses cannabis (marajuan) and see if they actually ever finosh the job properly adn without burns. It is quite simply madness to gain votes
first off stop calling it “Marijuana”
that was a Mexican name placed on it by America to demonize the plant when they decided to make it illegal in 1938
…. the correct term is Cannabis…
Also , it cannot be referred to as a Narcotic as it has absolutely no man made products introduced in it to make it addictive or halucigenic..
Ganja, pot, boo, weed, dope, herb, Mary Jane, bud, grass, reefer and the list goes on.
This works for many countries, control growing and government licensed dispensaries and tax sales. These taxes can be used to improve schools and provide our children with educations relative to benefiting their lives.