UPDATE: Senate to review proposed ganja law
Published:Wednesday | July 2, 2014 | 2:12 PM
The Senate is to review the Bill to erase the criminal records of people convicted for the possession of small amounts of ganja.
The Bill was tabled on Friday and is now awaiting debate.
The Justice Minister Senator Mark Golding says the bill proposes to erase the records of people convicted for possession of ganja weighing two ounces or less, and those, who, in the future may be held with a similar quantity of the weed.
Meanwhile, the Justice Minister has dismissed arguments by the medical fraternity that decriminalising ganja will encourage more Jamaicans to smoke and cause negative behaviours.
He was speaking in an interview on the latest edition of the JIS-produced current affairs programme, Issues and Answers.
Earlier this month, Senator Golding announced that the Cabinet had approved that changes be made to the Dangerous Drugs Act to remove smoking and the possession of two or less ounces of ganja as an offence.
The decriminalisation will also allow for the use of ganja for medical and religious purposes.
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