This law oppresses persons...

under subsection (1) or (2) to undergo mandatory counselling by a certified counsellor specified by the court where that person had a quantity of cannabis or any substance represented or held out by that person to be cannabis which does not exceed fifteen grams for a period as determined by the counsellor after an assessment”. Editor, the new laws (2B) which forces a person to forced labour of community work or pay $200,000 if he or she is convicted of 15 to 30 grams of cannabis and does not appear to work is madness. While this section does not take you away from your daily work, it takes you away from your family. Most persons leave for work at 7 am or early as 5:30 am and back home after 5 pm or 7 pm to prepare dinner for the family, laundering for the next day, especially when you don’t have much, and spending time with their children on their school work.

The amendment is just intended to punish an offender for the possession of small quantities of marijuana with the hope that the person may stop smoking but the forced labour will just bring on stress and forced the person to take a joint to ease the stress by relaxing the mind. Cannabis is not as evil, as it was painted to be, and continues to be demonised by oppressors, some of who may be alcoholics dictating other people’s lives. I am sure that studies will show that alcohol helps to create the energy for more violence and accidents than cannabis, yet no law is made to force anyone who is an addict to alcohol to go to counselling and do community work, and if not paid 200,000 fine.

What the new amendment does is put more burden on the Court and more money for the police from the person who does not want to do community work or go to rehab, also continue to give persons a criminal record for 30 grams of cannabis or less because the AG have to satisfy the people who are against cannabis. It is so sad. Where are we going? I am calling on the government to revisit the amendments and remove the oppressive laws. Sincerely,

Michael Carrington

Former MP