Hinds: Govt treating weed matter very carefully

Acting Attorney General Fitzgerald Hinds
Acting Attorney General Fitzgerald Hinds

ACTING Attorney General Fitzgerald Hinds noted the “powerful call” from people at Sunday’s National Cannabis Rally in Woodford Square to legalise marijuana. But with strong arguments in the public domain as well for decriminalising marijuana, Hinds said the Government will treat this matter “very, very carefully.”Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi is currently attending Financial Action Task Force plenary meetings in Paris, France.

As a member of a Cabinet subcommittee appointed by the Prime Minister to study the Caricom Commission on Marijuana’s report, Hinds said the plan remains to consult with a wide-cross section of stakeholders on this matter as possible.

He explained this was why he and Al-Rawi met with members of the Caribbean Collective for Justice at the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Tower in Port of Spain in July. At that meeting, Al-Rawi said there was agreement for public meetings to be held about decriminalising marijuana.

Hinds said once the Parliament completes its deliberations on the 2018/2019 budget, this exercise will be rolled out. While some people believe the choices in this matter are easy, Hinds said this is not so. “This requires a tremendous amount of thought and work,” he said. Once all the stakeholders’ inputs are gathered, Hinds said the subcommittee will make recommendations to the Cabinet. He said it was then for Cabinet to instruct the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs as to whether any legislative changes are required.

Hinds also said Government must also consider whether decriminalising or legalising marijuana could affect any international treaties TT has with other countries or organisations. Referring to Canada’s recent decision to legalise marijuana, Hinds said it is instructive that different states and provinces within Canada are at varying stages of implementing that legislation. He added this was something Government needed to consider as well.

In September, Dr Rowley said the issue of people being jailed for marijuana cigarettes will be debated in Parliament next year. Rowley said he did not believe there were no deleterious effects from smoking marijuana but the legislation had created another problem. He described it as a matter of social justice that needed to be addressed. Police Commissioner Gary Griffith said the TT Police Service (TTPS) has no view about legalising marijuana. “TTPS does not give a view on legislation. We are here to ensure that the law is maintained and if necessary enforced, whatever the law is.”

Former health minister Dr Fuad Khan declared, “The time for decriminalisation not legalising is now.” Khan claimed that Government “is falling behind” on this issue. “When they do it, the whole world would have already done it. He said this was another example of the country’s “lack of foresight and poor decision ability.”

Khan said TT is always last in line, He opined this is because “we elect people who have little ability to innovate and have too much fears of church goers.” Khan added, “But check how the pastors behaving etc.”

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