Collins
Amankwah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia North in the Ashanti
Region, has rebutted claims that cannabis has been legalised by Parliament for
public consumption but legalised use for medicinal purposes.
He expressed worry about the erroneous claims some
members of the public have been making since the passage of the Narcotics Act
into law and attitude of some of them
whose actions seem to fuel such unfounded claims within public domain.
“I am surprised that some people see the action parliament
took last week as legalising consumption of weed because that was not so,
Parliament in legalising use of cannabis was clear in its mind and was only for
medicinal purposes.
“The legislative assembly knowing all usage
of cannabis as illegal had to decriminalise some portions of the existing law so
that medical facilities can use weed for production of drugs, the house
enhanced the powers of the Narcotics Control Board to commission status to
reflect its new mandate.
“The Commission will now be able to
monitor, inspect and deal with all forms of usage of narcotics and also
streamline use of cannabis for medicinal purposes, we did three things in Parliament with
regards to new narcotics law to decriminalise its use for medicinal purposes,
enhance powers of the board which is now commission status and set boundaries
for usage,” Mr Amankwah reposited.
Stating the facts, Hon Amankwah said nowhere in
the discussion of the act in parliament was there allowance given to the
smoking of weed or cannabis by members of the public.
He noted strict sanctions and punitive measures
still portend in the use of cannabis.
The MP said no one can use cannabis for any
purposes in the new law except those who deal in pharmaceutical drugs and
medicinal supplements.
Hon Amankwah warned the public to be mindful
that anyone caught smoking or using cannabis publicly or growing same would be
arrested and prosecuted in the law courts.
“I am hereby cautioning the public not to engage
in the use of cannabis or any other illegal drug since the use of same is still
punishable by law,” the MP stressed. -kingdomonline.com
