Georgetown : President Bharrat Jagdeo maintains that the law on marijuana remains unchanged under his Presidency and foresees no change in the status-quo even as the Rastafarian community continues to purport that the substance is a fundamental right.
“This marijuana business… I think it will outlive my presidency, there will be no change in the law whilst I am here,” President Jagdeo told members of the media during a press conference on July 9.
At the launch of the International Year for People of African Descent (IYPAD) President Jagdeo made it clear in the presence of a large gathering of Rastafarians that his government is committed fully to their wellbeing but the promise of legalizing marijuana cannot be assured.
In April last year the Guyana Rastafari Council had vowed to join a worldwide march to press countries to waive the laws that criminalise the use of marijuana even in small quantities.
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee spoke out against the move, arguing that it is a contradiction to the fight against drugs and read out the law “which states that that anyone in violation of the policy will be penalised.”
