Marijuana Bill to go to Parliament before Christmas

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A bill which will allow residents to possess and use small quantities of marijuana will go before parliament on December 12th, 2017, for the first time.

According to the country’s latest Cabinet notes, the Marijuana Bill will be read a first time and distributed, when parliament convenes in just 19 days.

The bill focuses on decriminalising up to five grams of marijuana, eliminating fines associated with the currently illegal drug.

The government is hoping that by passing the Marijuana Bill, it will lessen, what it termed ‘the expensive’ costs associated with pursuing convictions and prosecuting people who were caught with small amounts of the drug.

The Gaston Browne led administration is also hoping that the passage of this bill will prevent young people in particular, from obtaining criminal records that often make it difficult for them to secure employment or acquire travel visas.

It was in 2016, that the Minister responsible for Information and Telecommunication, Melford Nicholas first announced that the draft bill would be sent to parliament for the first reading.

Other bills to be brought before parliament on December 12th include the Telecommunications Bill and a resolution that would make legal, a waiver of $101,000,000 in Antigua & Barbuda Sales Tax (ABST) for the Sandals Grande Resort Antigua.

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9 COMMENTS

  1. My question for this bill? Why allow small amounts of possession and not large amounts of possession? You legalize it and then you incarcerate the dealers who sell the “plants”? No! You legalize it all one time. Is the government going to grow the “plants” themselves and make it affordable to users? Are there restrictions on who can use it? We have so many people who are at Clarevue Hospital who are between 16 and 25 who have gone insane because of the use. What are your restriction and when will we rise up and take a steady lead on the horse’s back to steer us to the finish line of consciousness, success and sustainability? LEGALIZE IT ONE TIME AND DONE!

  2. This is a long awaited.

    I question the amount though. 5 grams will still mean many young people may be arrested on possession. What I think may be more beneficial is if we allow users to be registered and pay for a license to smoke, cultivate and possibly sell in a partnership with the government.

  3. I would love to see the bill introduced for medical marijuana. Legalize it and let those who want it get pay for a permit to use it. Gotta have your marijuana card paid for or else you get fined. Grant them on a three month basis.
    Come on Antigua stop sleeping, there’s money to be made let’s make money together while we cure diseases.

  4. So if it legalize then all dem man lock up for lickle herb supposed to get release. Dem man who wan smoke still have to respect where dem smoke it. Be smart and no get it repeal in 6 months lol

  5. A mint candy weigh more the 5 grams.
    Chups
    Antigua Government can do better than that.
    They should follow the template that Jamaica has
    Set 🇯🇲

  6. Everyone is saying make it legal but why not say provide the testing facilities or research lab. Research must be done. Proper testing and research is being done in jamaica. Also conferences about the plant.this must be done in antigua. They need to form the growers association also.

  7. Don’t you see when these young men get arrested for such possession they go back on the streets and commit the same crime. Marijuana addition is no joke. It’s the crimes and the addition of the plant not the benifits it posess… nobody kill for tobacco

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