The Grenadian authorities has introduced that when it takes proposed hashish laws to Parliament, it can achieve this with a number of strict restrictions in place, geared toward regulating leisure, medicinal, and non secular use of the substance.
Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, talking throughout his weekly ‘DMs with the PM’ programme on Tuesday, stated the proposed legislative modifications will “de-penalise” using small portions of hashish, with vital limits on who can eat it and the place.
“We additionally wish to make it clear that this may solely be permissible more than likely to individuals 21 and over and there [are] nonetheless going to be vital restrictions on probably no smoking of marijuana in public, completely no smoking round instructional or college establishments and so forth,” Mitchell acknowledged.
As Minister for Nationwide Safety, Mitchell defined that the laws may also enable people to develop a small variety of hashish vegetation for private use. The precise amount that will likely be legally permitted continues to be being finalized as a part of the continued coverage discussions.
The federal government can also be aiming to develop a authorized framework to help a medicinal hashish trade, in addition to to accommodate spiritual and sacramental use, starting with the Rastafarian group, which has lengthy advocated for recognition of its religious use of marijuana.
“We intend to ascertain a medicinal trade, a industrial in addition to the spiritual and sacramental use of marijuana,” Mitchell stated. “So, within the case of non secular and sacramental, definitely we’re beginning with the Rastafarian group who we all know makes use of it as a part of their spiritual practices, and from an trade industrial perspective we’re in search of to enact laws that may truly allow, through a licensing and allowing course of, the expansion and improvement of a medicinal marijuana trade.”
In a transfer towards restorative justice, the Prime Minister additionally introduced that the federal government is contemplating an amnesty or expungement of legal information for people beforehand convicted for possessing small quantities of marijuana.
“As a part of this course of, we’re additionally trying to have an amnesty or expunging of information for individuals who would have been convicted of possession of marijuana up to now, as much as no matter is the quantity we agree upon for small private use,” he stated.
Mitchell confused, nonetheless, that whereas Grenada is dedicated to reform, it should additionally adjust to its worldwide obligations, because the nation is a signatory to numerous international treaties regarding using narcotics.
“I wish to emphasize that this isn’t a simple and easy reply, as Grenada, like many of the world, is a signatory to sure treaty or conventions addressing using narcotics and we’ve to adjust to our worldwide obligations in relations to these points as effectively,” he stated.
The Prime Minister reiterated that legislation enforcement sources could be higher spent elsewhere than focusing on people for minor hashish use. “We definitely don’t need our officers spending their time chasing somebody for a marijuana spliff, we predict there are specific higher methods through which these sources could be utilised,” he stated, underscoring once more that restrictions will likely be an integral a part of the legislative framework.
