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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Zambia: NAREP stands against legalising marijuana
Lusaka Times Tuesday 15 Jul 2014 NAREP Lusaka District Executive Vice Chairman, Frank Sichone, says marijuana is harmful and dangerous and legalising it would harm the people in society. Mr Sichone says the country should look at other ways and means of increasing revenue in Zambia and not at the expense of the health of the people. In a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today, Mr Sichone condemned the calls championed by Green Party president, Peter Sinkamba and his People’s Party counterpart, Mike Mulongoti, who have urged government to legalise the production and export of marijuana which has brought revenue in other countries that have legalised it. “Our position as NAREP is that we condemn the legalisation of marijuana in this country. Marijuana is harmful and dangerous and legalising it would harm the people in society very much,” he said. Recently, Home Affairs Minister, Ngosa Simbyakula, reiterated during the commemorations of the World Anti-Drug Day in Lusaka that government will not legalise the use of cannabis in Zambia. Dr Simbyakula said it would not be in the interest of the country to legalise recreational use of cannabis. He said the debate on the legalisation of cannabis reflected the widespread misunderstanding of the adverse effects of drugs on an individual and the entire nation. The minister said damages caused by cannabis were not just limited to users but also increased vulnerability, risk of traffic accidents and injuries including mental disorders. He commended the Drug Enforcement Commission for its efforts in ridding Zambia of marijuana and other psychotropic substances by arresting the perpetrators of the vice. The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) arrested 1,600 persons for drug trafficking countrywide in the second quarter of 2014. DEC Public Relations Officer, Theresa Katongo, disclosed that 1,400 persons were arrested in the first quarter of 2014 and attributed the reduction to a joint operation that was conducted in Lusaka’s Chibolya area recently. Ms Katongo said 59 of those arrested were male juveniles while 50 were foreign nationals. She added that 416 persons have been convicted for various drug related offences while 1,000 cases are still pending in court. She said the highest seizure recorded of cannabis was in Eastern Province and efforts have been scaled-up by the Commission. http://www.lusakatimes.com/2014/07/15/narep-stands-legalising-marijuana/
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