Guernsey: two secretaries of state propose legalizing cannabis

Two secretaries of state from the island of Guernsey have submitted a proposal to legalize the cannabis «in the same way as in Canada.».

L’amendment was submitted last week to the Committee on Internal Affairs as part of a report reviewing the justice system and calls for:

«To direct the Committee on Internal Affairs to consult with relevant stakeholders and submit appropriate proposals no later than July 2021, recommending the introduction of a statutory framework—similar to that in countries such as Canada—to permit the production, distribution, sale, and possession of quality-controlled cannabis for recreational purposes.»

The proposal stipulates that the Committee on Internal Affairs has one year to gather information and present its comprehensive case for a legal framework governing cannabis.

The amendment was proposed by lawmakers Marc Leadbetter and Charles Parkinson, alongside another harm-reduction amendment aimed at reevaluating Guernsey’s approach to regulating «the possession and use of cannabis (particularly in small quantities for personal use) » in order to achieve more positive results in the fight against alcohol and substance abuse and domestic violence.

The island, a British Crown dependency, has almost complete autonomy over its own internal affairs. Drug legislation can therefore be enacted without the approval of the British government.