(Trinidad Guardian) Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi says fully legalising marijuana now will cripple its economic potential for the small man.
He made the comment on Saturday night as he defended the Government’s decision to choose decriminalisation of the herb.
“If you want full legalisation now you are crippling the economic potential of people that have a chance to actually, in a regulated environment, make some progress,” Al-Rawi said.
Al-Rawi made the statement as he addressed the People’s National Movement’s political meeting in Diego Martin.
He said decriminalisation of marijuana will have a positive effect on the delays in the country’s courts while also hitting gangs where it hurts – their pockets.
Every year, he said approximately 9,000 cases for marijuana possession go to the magistrates’ courts.
Al-Rawi said the 86 per cent of the time spent by this country’s forensic department is also spent analysing less than 60 grammes of marijuana for court matters, which takes away from more important matters.
On Friday, Al-Rawi took legislation to the Parliament for the decriminalisation of marijuana.
The Government is proposing that possession of under 30 grammes of marijuana will not carry a charge. Al-Rawi said 30 grammes of marijuana equates to “three large cigarette packs full of marijuana.”
The bill requires a simple majority for passage, Al-Rawi said.
“We will ensure the legislation is done on the floor,” he said.
Al-Rawi said “a large amount of gang activity” in this country is connected to marijuana.
“In taking the decriminalisation of marijuana forward, we have arranged instead for the money that gangs live on to be taken away from them,” he said.
“If you make everything a free for all how are you going to come up with an enterprise.”
