Dear Editor,
ANY government has the right to criminalise or even regulate the use of cannabis. This recent proposal to Cabinet, which will allow the removal of custodial jail sentences for the possession of up to 30 grammes of cannabis (as part of its move to reduce prison populations) should raise concerns for the future marijuana laws of Guyana to be in accordance with international standards.

If Guyana were to adopt laws similar to that of the United States of America and Jamaica, this new marijuana proposal would also spark questions on local imports and exports of legal quantities of the drug. Were Guyana to act in accordance with this international standard, the country would definitely see the establishment of cannabis licensing authorities and regulating bodies, i.e, if the Government of Guyana does not decide to regulate cannabis on its own, which would be something great, because somewhere in this local plea bargain is a farmer reaping and distributing cannabis in large quantities (Guyana has one of the best climates and high-fertility soils for growing marijuana), and this should not be allowed through the new law, except, of course, with a licence. With this having been said, the majority of cannabis in Guyana is locally farmed, and it is these farmers who would be the main cause of the local marijuana possession; and if nothing will be done about them, marijuana quantities will be on a greater scale in Guyana than ever before.
So, henceforth, I would like to propose that the Government of Guyana regulate and distribute marijuana through dispensaries, outlets etc., so that people can have a safe way to fund what is mainly nowadays a recreational habit, or if not, a medical or medicinal support or requirement,  and thereby prevent the local need of mixing with the criminalised local marijuana sources and going to the “blocks” or “farms”’ for marijuana. If not the government, it would be great to have licensed cafes and marijuana shops as is seen internationally, with “experienced” people who actually know about what they have and not just anybody with an interest in selling or money; and as straight to point as can be, the person should have experience and knowledge of marijuana through its ingestion.
Now one of my major concerns with this proposal is that no real discussion or public forum has been launched to highlight the outcome of such a law, as Guyana would have to look at international marijuana laws as guidelines, e.g The United States of America and Jamaica. There is a lot of international research and data which promotes it as a medicinal herb with a variety of positive benefits, which can be ingested in many ways, and it is used by people of all races and cultures. So if Guyana’s laws were to allow half of what Jamaica is allowing, without decriminalisation, local steps must be taken to authorise marijuana sales and even regulate its use.

I think Guyana should follow in the steps of the United States of America, and work towards marijuana laws that are similar to theirs (Jamaica would have followed this) and create grounds for the legal and recreationally used ‘’medicinal marijuana,’’ which is authorised and regulated by the government. International laws have also created ways that allow recreational purchases of marijuana in legal quantities, as not everyone who uses the herb is medically in need of it and therefore would not be able to acquire a medical certificate to purchase it.
Yours sincerely,
Michael Khan