…Shuman sides with Gov’t, says 500 grammes would plunge society into chaos
By Lisa Hamilton
The Opposition’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) (Amendment) Bill 2020 which proposed to legalise up to 500 grammes of cannabis and for all persons currently imprisoned for such to be released was defeated in Parliament on Thursday.
All Government Members of Parliament (MPs) along with Opposition MP, Lenox Shuman, voted against the Bill after a heated debate which stretched from the morning hours into the afternoon.
Shuman, Leader of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) and lone member of the Opposition to object to Bill referred to it as “offensive”.
In December 2020, the Opposition has submitted to the Clerk of the National Assembly the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) (Amendment) Bill 2020 which calls for the legality of 500 grammes of cannabis or cannabis resin and for all persons currently imprisoned for such possession to be released.
At Parliament on Thursday, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic PPP/C) Administration dug into the Bill deeming the high number of grammes proposed as “irresponsible” and without proper research. Most of the Opposition disagreed with their criticisms save or Shuman.
Rising to speak, Shuman said that smoking has been a gift of the indigenous peoples to the world and he feels especially privileged to be the only indigenous person speaking on the matter in the House. However, he condemned the Opposition for the Bill it put forward stating that it would not serve the best interest of the Guyanese public.
“While we would have used cannabis, tobacco [and] a variety of other things for indigenous spirituality, we walk into the hallowed halls of this Parliament only to see our spiritualty getting bastardized having gifted it to the world,” Shuman said.
“I find this Bill not only offensive to the public but also offensive to the people who depend on Parliamentary representatives to address their issues in this House. The whole country should be offended.”
He said that the Opposition expects Guyanese to move “from zero to the speed of light” with the high amount proposed for legality but as leaders, they ought to be circumspect about how the country moves forward.
He added: “In order for us to support such a bill, it has to be done with a science-based approach and it has to be incremental to reflect the realities of the Guyanese society. We cannot sit there and permit all of our young people, all of our society to be walking around with [that amount] of marijuana every single day. When we get to that point then all of our society descends into chaos.”
It was Opposition MP and attorney, Roysdale Forde who spoke earlier and contended that it is through consultation that the Opposition would have arrived at the portion.
“We do recognise that this is a substantial change but it is a substantial change which we believe accords with the current circumstances facing the country, that accords with the current thinking facing the country. We do not expect that every single person will go to acquire 500 grammes but it is an upward threshold that we wish to propose,” he explained.
Showmanship
However, rising to speak after Shuman, Opposition MP and attorney, Khemraj Ramjattan accused Shuman of displaying “showmanship” in his arguments. He said that it was CARICOM, through thorough research, that recommended the legalisation of marijuana in the Region.
“We have to now work around the situation…it is by increasing it by some such amount that otherwise poor people, especially little black boys, are not going to be jailed,” Ramjattan said. “I was defence Council and Former Minister of Public Security and I know that the rich people in this country get away with the 500 grammes but the poor man goes to jail.”
Turning his attention to the PPP/C Members, he said: “You had at least 23 years to deal with this issue and you didn’t do it in it. What do you call that? Gangsterism clothed in sanctity?”
While Shuman said that chaos would ensue with the APNU+AFC’s proposal, Ramjattan countered that it is in fact alcohol that has caused much chaos and violence in society but the country’s leaders, on the contrary, are not seeking to restrict alcohol consumption quantities.
The former Public Security Minister iterated that the Opposition Marijuana Bill is the most purposeful solution to the issue at hand. He said that the 500 grammes proposed is the closest to the recommendations of CARICOM.
On the contrary, in January 2021, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall submitted the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) (Amendment) Bill 2021 which does not state the proposed quantity to be allowed. The Bill still sees the possession of marijuana being an offence but, alternative to jail time, other punishments have been outlined.
It would require persons in possession of 15 grammes of cannabis to prove that such is not for the purpose of trafficking; mandatory counselling by a certified counsellor specified by the court for anyone convicted for being in possession of cannabis less than 15 grammes; and community service for possession cannabis over 15 grammes and under 30 grammes.
Further, for smoking cannabis in places where cigarette smoking is also banned, it imposes a $10,000 fine for a first offence and a $20,000 penalty for a second and subsequent offences.
Where an offender may refuse to consent or breach an order of mandatory counselling or community service, the offender may be subject to pay a fine of $250,000 where the Court sees fit.
In his presentation, Nandlall accused the APNU+AFC Members of being ill-prepared and ill-researched in presenting the Bill. He said that though the PPP/C had no intention of supporting it Bill, this would not stop its MPs from presenting to the House why the Bill is a “disaster”.
