Commissioner of Police told the media on Tuesday October 24 that his department through Superintendent of police Bart Jones is conducting countrywide educational sessions with police officers to inform them of the Amendment of the Misuse of Drugs Act. This was one day before the senate met and ratified the bill on Wednesday October 25. The Bill will now be forwarded to the Governor General for ascension.
Under the amendment it reads: “Where the controlled drug in a person’s possession is cannabis or cannabis resin in an amount of not more than ten grammes and –
(a)… the possession is not unlawful and an offence is not committed thereby; –
….(i) is not liable to be arrested or detained but may, on the first occasion of such contravention be liable to a warning from the police, and or a second or subsequent occasion the provisions of violation ticket regulations made under section 28A shall apply, whereby the offender is liable to being issued with the prescribed violation ticket by an authorized officer requiring the violator to pay a fine of one hundred dollars or such other amount in substitution therefor as may be specified in violation ticket regulations, which amount shall be clearly stated on the face of the violation ticket;
(II) section 26 (arrest without warrant) and 29 (forfeiture of means of conveyance) shall not apply to the contravention and
(III) the contravention shall not constitute an offence nor form a part of the criminal record of a person.
This however will not apply if the persons is found on the premises of educational institutions including buildings and playing fields. Persons who are under age are required to participate in drug counselling programs with the cost of such program being borne by the person, his or her parents or guardians.
Smoking of cannabis will only be permitted on the premises of individuals who allow it and that also applies to hotels and apartments that are rented.
The amendment also defines cannabis as any part of the plant of the genus cannabis sativa and resin or product obtained from it but it disqualifies medicinal preparations of marijuana as well as industrial hemp from being part of cannabis.
The bill is expected to be signed into law on Monday of next week.
