Public Consultations on the Decriminalization of Marijuana

GOVERNMENT and the Caribbean Justice Collective (CCFJ ) agreed should be public consultations on the decriminalization of marijuana. Following this, a note will be presented to Cabinet proposing the creation of an interdepartmental committee that will hold public meetings to discuss the issue. CCFJ Chief Nazma Muller revealed this after a lengthy two-hour meeting between Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Fitzgerald Hinds and CCFJ representatives at the Ministry of the Attorney General. Port of Spain yesterday.

Muller said the CCFJ has "measured the optimism" that this approach will ensure a result that everyone is happy with. The Prime Minister instructed Al-Rawi and Hinds to meet the CCFJ yesterday. Last Friday, Dr. Rowley received a petition from Muller to decriminalize marijuana before attending a House of Representatives session. Prior to the meeting, Al-Rawi said: "This is the beginning of a discussion because we are now respectfully prepared for this discussion."

He explained the recent statement by the Prime Minister that priorities should be made in the context of improving the criminal justice system. Al-Rawi said that all the systems in the world that have dealt with the decriminalization or legalization of marijuana have done "on the basis of a criminal justice reform."

Citing 102 people in court and two special criminal courts for children as examples, Al-Rawi said that "place and space" had been created to discuss decriminalization or marijuana.

However, he said that "Al-Rawi said that the country remains in a narcotics arena and that there is" a serious crime badociated with some of these cases ".

Al-Rawi said, "Our country has its own idiosyncrasies that must be taken into account in this equation." With the government and later, Parliament needs In terms of possible legislative changes, Hinds agreed that public consultation was important.

He said that the CCFJ should not badume that "everyone has such a complete understanding of the problems that it could have." Muller said the group presented a "solid case" to the government. She said that the case came from a perspective of legal research, social, medical and spiritual factors.

Referring to statistics provided by Al-Rawi, Muller said that there were "3,000 men arrested last year for possession of cannabis." [19659005] This, she continued, contributes a cost of $ 20,000 to $ 25,000 per month to maintain a prisoner, potentially reducing a 40% overburdened justice system and 11% of incarcerated prisoners for possession of narcotics. Muller said the Caricom Commission's recommendations on marijuana are clear. She added that it was the decriminalization of marijuana, legislation with strict controls like for alcohol and tobacco or full legalization when " we allow the private sector to take control of the government. "