Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said marijuana may soon become legal in Dominica if the parliament signs off on it. He told the Fifth Session of the Ninth Parliament that his administration will soon propose the decriminalization of marijuana to the parliament. He made this assertion while presenting the 2019/2020 National Budget to the House.
Skerrit said anyone will be able to possess and use marijuana if it is not more than 28.35 grams or one ounce. He revealed that in 2018, his administration indicated that cannabis may be decriminalized after due consultations with stakeholders.
“The Government will therefore propose that the possession of not more than 28.35 grams (1 ounce) of marijuana be decriminalized,” Skerrit said. “The Government should bring to the Parliament for consideration, legislation to decriminalize the possession of marijuana.”
He revealed that having engaged stakeholders on the decriminalization of cannabis in the country, Dominica should not be denied the medical and economic benefits of marijuana since decriminalization of the plant is now the trend several countries around the world. He said the social media is also agog with people expressing their approval for marijuana in recreational and medical as well as religious use.
“We are of the view, however, that in all the circumstances, particularly having regard to the empirical data, and the growing international importance of medical marijuana and the world trend of decriminalization of marijuana for medical, religious and recreational use,” he stated.
To buttress the government’s commitment to decriminalizing marijuana in Dominica, Skerrit added that people in jail for possessing light amounts of the substance will be released. He said those convicted for possessing no more than one ounce of cannabis will have their records wiped clean, since it is inhuman to be stigmatized forever over 28 grams of beneficial weed.
The prime minister said his administration will “continue to explore the medical benefits that can be derived from the use of marijuana, including its economic value.”
Marijuana is classified as a Class B drug in Dominica, meaning it is unlawful for anyone to possess, cultivate or sell the plant. But that is about to change if the Parliament signs off on its decriminalization when the Skerrit administration makes the proposition.
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