MARIJUANA POLICY ADVANCES
...the legislation and policies will be effected as soon as control substance Bill is qualified.
THE formulation of a marijuana policy framework has reached an advanced stage, Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo has said.
Mr Katambo said the marijuana legislation and policies will be effected as soon as control substance Bill is qualified.
The minister said the policy was under Cabinet scrutiny and would soon be passed to the legislative committee.
Mr Katambo said in an interview yesterday that the policy would need to undergo separation of the law.
"Marijuana policy development is at very advanced stage and the bill will be brought before parliament after undergoing all the necessary processes.
"The policy we need to undergo separation of the law because as it is now the law does not separate the indica and Sativa as per scientific names of the two crop commodities. So once that is done then we will be able to implement and bring the bill before parliament,” Mr Katambo said.
He said the current narcotic substance laws does not separate cannabis from psychotropic substances.
Mr Katambo said there wasneed to have a bill that will separate the two crop products and create an agent or an authority.
"Our current laws do not separate cannabis from psychotropic substances so there is need for a bill to separate the two and create an agent or an authority to deal with this crop for medicinal or export purposes," Mr Katambo said.
He said there was an industrial hemp which the country will start growing for medicinal and export purposes.