When we take up government, we are going to take that legislation (medicinal marijuana) and put it in the right way.\u201d<\/p>
So says Parliamentary Representative for North Leeward, Roland \u2018Patel\u2019 Matthews while addressing the New Democratic Party\u2019s 41st Convention last week Sunday at the Arnos Vale Playing Field.\u00a0According to Matthews, Opposition Parliamentarians supported the legislation to establish a medicinal marijuana industry here because individuals like himself coming from the constituency of North Leeward understood the importance of such an industry.\u00a0<\/p>
But, the government was yet to declare an amnesty period, the North Leeward Parliamentary Representative contended.\u00a0<\/p>
No amnesty period had been granted; however, licences are being granted: “They breaking they own law, and they ain\u2019t even start yet,\u201d Matthews continued.\u00a0
Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, while addressing members of the press last month and in response to lawyer Grant Connell who, during litigation in court, suggested that perhaps the amnesty legislation will come into effect during the campaign leading up to the next general elections.\u00a0
According to Gonsalves, the amnesty law took effect \u2013 and particularly for traditional farmers \u2013 when they were granted licences.\u00a0
And there were some traditional farmers who had already been granted licences to cultivate medicinal marijuana.\u00a0“That\u2019s when the amnesty kicks in,\u201d he said.\u00a0The prime minister explained that if someone who was caught at sea with 40 pounds of marijuana, then amnesty does not apply.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0
\u00a0“How the amnesty apply to that?\u201d he asked.\u00a0Under the Cannabis Cultivation (Amnesty) Bill 2018, the\u00a0 period between August 1, 2018 to July 31, 2019 \u2013 \u2018or such further period as the House of Assembly may determine by resolution, to persons engaged in the cultivation of cannabis, contrary to section 8 of the Drugs (Prevention of Misuse) Act and any other relevant enactment, who may otherwise be liable to criminal prosecution for certain criminal offences and other proceedings under that Act or any other relevant enactment in force\u2019 is specified.
It continues that during the specified period, conditions for qualifying persons are that they shall register with the Medical Cannabis Authority and surrender all cannabis to the Authority.
\u00a0And requests for amnesty require that the applicant submit to the Authority information including the location of the land on which the crop is being cultivated and the quantity being harvested and stored, and the Authority may, for the purpose of verification, cause three inspectors \u2013 one of whom is a police officer not below the rank of corporal, to visit the land or premises to conduct investigation and inspection in order to verify the information.\u00a0Successful applicants will then be issued with an amnesty certificate.(VIN)<\/p>
<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When we take up government, we are going to take that legislation (medicinal marijuana) and put it in the right way.\u201d So says Parliamentary Representative for North Leeward, Roland \u2018Patel\u2019 Matthews while addressing the New Democratic Party\u2019s 41st Convention last week Sunday at the Arnos Vale Playing Field.\u00a0According to Matthews, Opposition Parliamentarians supported the legislation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":6743,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-local-news"],"yoast_head":"\n