Imprisoning Weed Smokers An Abuse Of Human Right – Rastafarai Council

The Rastafarai Council of Ghana has described the imprisonment of persons arrested for smoking Cannabis (Marijuana) as an abuse of human right as they push for the government to decriminalize the act.

Ghana’s laws on narcotics frown on the possession of marijuana with several culprits caught in the act made to face the full force of the law and in most cases, they are sentenced to spend jail term.

On a day where Ghana joined the rest of the world to celebrate International Cannabis Day, the Rastafarai Council of Ghana is advocating for the immediate decriminalization of Marijuana as they call on the government to see to the release of suspects imprisoned for smoking the plant.

Speaking to Class FM on Saturday, April 20, 2019, on the back of the celebration of International Cannabis Day, Lawyer for the Rastafarai Council, Mr. George Tetteh Wayo highlighted that people who have been imprisoned for allegedly smoking week did not commit any crime and must be set free.

“As a lawyer, I will want to say that because that is what the law is. But the idea is that looking at what is it they have been punished for something that really must not be criminalized. They have been punished for something that is not really a crime”, the lawyer argued.

He continued “Because what we are saying here is that herb is a plant and like I said Genesis 1, 11, 12, 29 and 30 talks about the creator himself creating herbs and saying that all plants and herbs are for food and medicine. So from day one, our creator has given us something that is for food and medicine. It is the passage of time that society decided to criminalize this particular aspect of the issue”.