While acknowledging that the laws and by extension the penalties for cannabis offences ought to be reviewed, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan yesterday also argued that the current absence of a clear sentencing policy is a problem.
Ramjattan made these comments following continued public criticisms of the “harsh” sentences being handed down for possession of cannabis, including the recent high-profile case of football coach Vibert Butts.
Butts was last week sentenced to three years in jail after pleading guilty to having 46 grammes of cannabis in his possession for trafficking. According to the law, possession of any amount of cannabis over 15 grammes is considered trafficking, which is an offence that carries a