Mauritius wants to decriminalize personal drug use and authorize medical cannabis

A bill presented to the Council of Ministers and debated in the Mauritian Parliament proposes to decriminalize the personal use of drugs in Mauritius, in addition to introducing medical cannabis more widely.

Decriminalisation of personal use

The text of the law, reported by the Mauritian press, Under the new law, possession of drugs for personal use and without aggravating circumstances - such as cultivation for the purpose of trafficking - could escape prosecution. The person in question would be offered addiction treatment and would have to appear before a specially created body, the Drug Users’ Administrative Panel (DUAP).

This panel will accompany the user on his or her treatment path, without penal follow-up. Currently, when the Mauritian police arrest a user in possession of drugs, the latter is prosecuted criminally.

Expansion of medical cannabis trial

The second part of the bill concerns cannabis for medical use, so far restricted to a trial.

Cannabis-derived products prescribed to patients (capsules, oils, syrup, flower...) must not exceed 30 mg and 60 ml of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) per dose.

To benefit from treatment, specific medical conditions must be met, such as :

• spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis not treated by conventional means
• severe refractory epilepsy unresponsive to conventional anticonvulsant therapy
• patients undergoing chemotherapy whose side-effect treatments are ineffective, or patients with intractable pain.

These patients will be referred to Medicinal Cannabis Therapeutic Committee, This will be set up in every public hospital, and their case will be referred to a specialist authorized to recommend the use of medical cannabis.

Treatments will be dispensed over a renewable period not exceeding three months. Medical cannabis will be imported by the Ministry of Health only, with delivery supervised by the police.

Rastas want religious legalization

Alongside this reform of the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Bill, The island's Rasta community is calling for authorization to consume cannabis during Rastafari celebrations. The Rastas cite the island's constitution, which guarantees religious freedom. Several countries already authorize the sacramental use of cannabis or other psychoactive plants within communities.

Lawyer Sanjeev Teeluckdharry will shortly be taking his case to the Supreme Court, arguing that the constitutional rights of Rastas have so far been violated and that the religious use of cannabis should be reconsidered.