CHAIRMAN of the Alliance for Change (AFC), and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, on Thursday said efforts are being made to reduce the number persons being incarcerated for possession of small amounts of marijuana.
At a news conference of the party at its Kitty headquarters, Ramjattan said the intention is to examine the legislation in a holistic manner, but in the meantime, he believes consideration should be given to the Michael Carrington motion to amend the Narcotics Drug and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Amendment Bill 2015- No. 17 of 2015. Carrington, an AFC Member of Parliament (MP) said the Bill intends to remove the three to five years sentencing imposed by the courts on persons caught in possession of small quantities of cannabis for personal use.

He maintained that the Bill was in no way attempting to legalise the use of marijuana, and noted that thousands are sentenced to jail for the three to five year period or more, for having small portions of marijuana. Carrington in his arguments for the amendment said, the original legislation seeks to prevent persons from smoking, which he believed to be a conspiracy of industrial politicians. The MP opined that instead of imprisoning persons for being in possession of the illegal drug, those persons can be fined.
As such, his proposed amendments in the legislation are aimed at removing the sentences imposed for possession of small amounts of marijuana and the imposition of fines, and suggests that those persons should be allowed to have 55 grams of marijuana on their person instead of 15 grams.

Three years ago, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) had called for either the decriminalisation of marijuana or the revision of the sentencing policy. Ramjtattan said, “We are urging that in the meantime, once the more composite one is going to be done, there can be a call because of the prison crisis, in a sense, that we can do something about the present one. That is what Mr Carrington and of course, I understand other members are demanding.”
He said too, that Carrington’s Bill was put at a time when there was a demand for a more complex one. He alluded to the fact that Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, has also advocated for a more complex bill that would not only attach itself to the quantum of sentencing and the reduction of same, but also address a larger picture in relation to new levels of trafficking and sentencing that is to go with different categories of traffickers.

“…we are going to engage the APNU parliamentarians and their side on the issue as to whether we can fast track certain amendments in that regard, rather than wait on the composite picture we want and have been asking for,” said Ramjattan.
The AFC chair noted that the fast tracking can be done with the Carrington amendment being passed. “We are going to urge it be passed, until such time the larger and more composite picture is complete…we are a partnership and understand that some people may very well have other ideas…so we have come to a consensus,” Ramjattan added.