WHILE congratulating the newly elected Government, the Healing of the Nation Theocracy Party (HTNTP) has called on them to establish the National Marijuana Council, considering the fact that it has been mandated by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government in 2014.The HTNTP has reiterated its support for the A Partnership For National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, announcing that they look forward to working with President David Granger and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo in re-building the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and pushing the development of “El Dorado.”
According to a statement, the party is calling on the new government to include the setting up of a national marijuana commission, as mandated by the CARICOM Heads of Government in 2014, as part of its mandate to fulfil certain commitments within 100 days of assuming office.
“Early in the elections campaign, both APNU, through a pronouncement by Mr. Joe Harmon, and AFC through, an announcement by Mr. Rafael Trotman, had indicated their respective parties’ support for a review of legislation surrounding the decriminalisation and eventual legalisation of marijuana.”
The Rastafarian Party, through its weekly “Healing The Nation”television programme on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 12 noon on HBTV Channel 9, has been advocating the legalisation of ganja. This was also a main plank of the HTNTP’s elections campaign, along with the total eradication of poverty.
In calling for the setting up of the government-funded national marijuana commission, Guyana is joining with sister CARICOM state Jamaica, which recently this year, amended the Dangerous Drugs Act in its Parliament to ease restrictions on the use of the herb on the tourist island.
HTNTP is seeking to have the new APNU+AFC coalition Government table the legislation within the first 100 days “to amend the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act Chapter 10:10 in order to decriminalise marijuana for medicinal, religious, scientific and therapeutic purposes.”
As in Jamaica, the new law will make the possession of small quantities of ganja a non-chargeable offence; instead it makes it a credible infraction that does not result in a criminal record; it permits the use of ganja for religious, medical, scientific and therapeutic purposes; and it provides for regulation through the granting of licences to permit the development of a lawful industry for medical ganja and industrial hemp.
“HTNTP stands committed to work with the APNU+AFC coalition administration in ensuring constitutional and judicial reforms to make Guyana a better place with equal rights and justice for all!”