Lawyer Kondwani Williams wants authorities to consider “amending the law where necessary to ensure that offences of simple marijuana possession can be dealt with outside from the ambit of the court system.”
His claims comes after weeks of repeated concerns by Magistrate Evalina Baptist presiding over matters at the Roseau Magistrate Court that the cases of simple cannabis possession are “clogging up the court system,” and that the court and Police is becoming “overwhelm by these conditions.”
In an interview with DNO earlier this week Williams said, “The use of the substance is becoming more and more fashionable; it is no longer in the bush by the river, but in parties and being used by both men and women.”
Williams claims that not enough is being done to sensitize and educate young people about the effects of marijuana. “We see in popular music and in the print media that marijuana is being referred to as the eternal herb and the healing of the nation and society have failed to counteract this sort of encouragement,” he pointed out.
Williams in advancing his call for the legalization of simple possession spoke of the consequences of convicting such cases.
“Minimal sensitization of the dangers and of cannabis often leads to convictions on the backs of unemployed youths, which then make them unemployable given the demographic of our small island state,” Williams said.
Marijuana will be legalized in the next 5-10 years tops.
Once all the facts are known, it becomes clear that Dominica’s marijuana laws need reform. This issue must be openly debated using only the facts. Groundless claims, meaningless statistics, and exaggerated scare stories that have been peddled by politicians and prohibitionists for the last 60 years must be rejected.
ANNUAL AMERICAN DEATHS CAUSED BY DRUGS
TOBACCO …………………… 400,000
ALCOHOL …………………… 100,000
ALL LEGAL DRUGS ………….20,000
ALL ILLEGAL DRUGS ……….15,000
CAFFEINE …………………….2,000
ASPIRIN ………………………500
MARIJUANA …………………. 0
—————————————-
Source: United States government…
National Institute on Drug Abuse,
Bureau of Mortality Statistics
Like any substance, marijuana can be abused. The most common problem attributed to marijuana is frequent overuse, which can induce lethargic behaviour, but does not cause serious health problems. Marijuana can cause short-term memory loss, but only while under the influence. Marijuana does not impair long-term memory. Marijuana does not lead to harder drugs.
Marijuana does not cause brain damage, genetic damage, or damage the immune system. Unlike alcohol, marijuana does not kill brain cells or induce violent behaviour. Continuous long-term smoking of marijuana can cause bronchitis, but the chance of contracting bronchitis from casual marijuana smoking is minuscule. Respiratory health hazards can be totally eliminated by consuming marijuana via non-smoking methods, i.e., ingesting marijuana via baked foods, tincture, or vaporizer.
A 1997 UCLA School of Medicine study (Volume 155 of the American Journal of Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine) conducted on 243 marijuana smokers over an 8-year period reported the following: “Findings from the long-term study of heavy, habitual marijuana smokers argue against the concept that continuing heavy use of marijuana is a significant risk factor for the development of chronic lung disease.”
Neither the continuing nor the intermittent marijuana smokers exhibited any significantly different rates of decline in lung function as compared with those individuals who never smoked marijuana.” The study concluded: “No differences were noted between even quite heavy marijuana smoking and non-smoking of marijuana.”
Marijuana does not cause serious health problems like those caused by tobacco or alcohol (e.g., strong addiction, cancer, heart problems, birth defects, emphysema, liver damage, etc.). Death from a marijuana overdose is impossible. In all of world history, there has never been a single human death attributed to a health problem caused by marijuana. Legalize marijuana and life would be better for most people.
LEGALIZE IT
blood!!!!!! excuss me let me light my splif!!!! big up my. williams
instead of arresting someone for petty weed use..why not try educating them as the lawyer said and dismiss it..come on!! we live in 2011..stop the madness..kill the rum,cocaine instead!
left to me i would legalize it cause our government and churches technically legalize bobol, borgar, adultry, murder(everybody going free), contract hit on old man, drug dealing and many more
lets come together police, prison officers, customs officers all the nation and BLAZE IT UP! AND KEEP THE MEDDY REAL
It’s high time someone of that calibre talk on this important issue. The judge is already showing signs that she, of all people, is overwhelmed. The distinguished gentleman is simply stating facts as they are – The courts are being CLOGGED with these petty cases.
This petty has been costing Dominica lots of money over the past 40 years. Now there’s a need to build more jails to incaserate our youth for this.
This is the only area that local police have shown to shine or to seem to be doing something. All or most of their meagre resources are spent procecuting Marijuana, leaving little or no time and resources to go after the invasive ubiquitous hard drugs like coke and crack.
That’s the reason why you only hear of a coke bust every 4 years or so, yet crack and coke has inundated Dominica. Coke has a smaller foot print than marijuana, so it yields more profit for corrupt authorities but yet they know what it causes, and has had devestating and dangerous effects on our society.
This should beging the campaign to decriminalize or legalize Marijuana. The judges have already shown signs of being overwhelmed. Then D/a will have to build more jails, a waste of time!
cigarettes and alcohol would harm you when they’re consumed in large amounts….not weed….whatever happens after you smoke a joint depends on your personality….
Trying to legalize Sunday shopping and now it is a small possession of marijuana? What next? Is Dominica going down slippery slopes? It appears so to me.
What exactly does he mean by “small possession”? Will he be weighing the marijuana possession?
He says that it has become more and more fashionable. What a ridiculous choice of words. So is sin in this so-called modern-day era.
How does he plan to deal with it outside of the court system?
Making excuses for unemployed youths who will not try to do nothing fruitful?
Yet a man is sent to one year in prison for stealing two bottles of liquor?
I visualize how many people will project drunkenness and stupor by taking marijuana. Is this the type of society you are aiming for? God help those Dominicans and Dominica.
Williams, you better think twice about this legalization.
I agree to an extent. I believe he should give solutions or suggestions. I am sure he knows that legalizing the drug most likely will not fix the problem. There are several other things (e.g., premarital sex, degrading terms used to describe women) that popular music encourages and society has not said that this is the new norm.
@ Nice
You are indeed correct! At least there are some of us who agree on this point and this is good enough. The other set who disagree, may God assist them and their children – family. The day may come when they will eat their words to their detriment.
I want what is good for Dominica, for the world and for people in general just as much as I want it for myself. To make the world a better, happy and safe place to live – this is to have succeeded.
Legalizing marijuana will not achieve this. Education may very well achieve it. This is what the government has to strive for.
These things should be taught in schools if they do not receive it at home. The government must pay attention to this and do something about it.
The government must do all it can to educate and discipline the youth, the future citizens that they will grow up to be responsible adults and citizens and to stay away from illegal drugs. Much more could be done.
I am not only blaming the Dominican governments, past and present. I am blaming the world-wide government. I have considered what the cause of the problem is and with the youths who grow up to be adults. They are not properly disciplined and schooled for adulthood. They are taught to learn in school in order to obtain jobs but this is as far as it goes. They need to learn much more than that in order to assume their rightful place in society and contribute also to the betterment of society.
…And you know as Our Lord Jesus Christ said: “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” Everything else will only be a band-aid – temporary – not lasting. If only we could imbed it in them.
If governments do not live godly lives, how can they effect any good and changes in society? There are some of them who institute immoral laws rather than moral ones. Therein lies the problem – of the world.
GOD!!!!! save us from these IGGGGGGGNNNNOOOOORRRANNTTTT PEOPLE WHO LIVE ALL THEIR LIVES IN A BOTTTTLLLEE. BUY A TICKET AND GO SOMEWHERE AND SEE HOW OTHER SOCIETIES FUNCTION….
SEND ME AND ALL OTHER YOUNG MAN THAT ARE THE STRENGTH OF THE WORKFORCE TO JAIL FOR A LITTLE JOINT…………..THEN ALLU OLD RAS WILL HAVE TO DO ALL THE LITTLE ODD JOBS AROUND THE HOUSE AND YARD FOR ALLU DAMN SELF….I CANNOT STAND PEOPLE THAT HAVE ONE EYE!!!!!!!! OR JUST BLIND PERIOD!!!!!!
U WANT A BACK TO JUMP ON????? ALCOHOL ABUSE IS AFFECTING SO MANY LIVES IN DOMINICA BUT NO ONE THINKS OF CRIMINALIZING IT… FEAR IS THE MOST DEADLY SICKNESS OUT THERE….. FEAR OF CHANGE, FEAR IN GENERAL…… DONT BE A VECTOR FOR THIS DEADLY ILLNESS…..DO NOT BE A COWARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@ anon
Making excuses and exonerating yourself? Get a hold of yourself and live a responsible life that you may be of good use to yourself and to society. Teach others to do likewise. What good are you to society if you do not practice this?
What a waste of time. Let us legalize cocaine and heroin to and while we at it lets give guns to our kids. What about that?
LOOK ANOTHER ONE!
HAVE U EVER TRAVELLED??????? WHAT KIND OF BOOKS DO U READ??? DO U KNOW THAT AMSTERDAM WHERE WEED IS LEGALLLLLLLLLLL NOT DECRIMINALIZED BUT LEGAL, THEY HAVE THE LOWEST CRIME RATE IN EUROPE????????? OPEN YOUR EYES AND MIND MY FRIEND.
THE EYES OF THOSE DUMMIES CAN’T SEE, ALL THEY WANT 2 SEE IS JAH CHILDREN SUFFERING :I cry:
That is a very valid point. Police officers can caution the people and just disposess them from
The little joint. Simple. It happens in some countries. Too much money spendin on these minor offences
Where do we do draw the line. Because everybody doing it does not make it right nor the negative effects less. The use of ganja is just a stepping stone to the use of harder drugs. I have yet to meet a person who is in regular use of ganja who would earn my respect.
THEN YOU MUST BE SOMKING CRACK
GOD HELP MY IGNORANT COUNTRYMEN TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES AND SEE FURTHER THAN AN ARMS LENGTH. YOU WOULDN’T RESPECT ME MY FRIEND?????THAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH MOST PEOPLE LIKE YOU, NO DAMN RESPECT..
After all i am very much surprised at Kondwani’s statement he is an Attorney at law and it is illegal in our law books ,if he claims that not enough is being done to sensitize the users of the drug he should take on his own and go to the Schools around the island and educate and sensitize them as to the illegal use of the drug .
If someone throws a stone or rock and damages somebody’s glass window or even to knock down somebody down is he not going to the court to help procecute that individul because it was illegal to throw a stone, so why is he trying to condone something that is wrong to be right.
what makes it not right? because it is written in the books?
slavery was legal doesn’t make it morally right!!
GO AND GET A DICTIONARY, SO U CAN UNDERSTAND THE BIG WORDS THE MAN USING…. READ WHAT THE ARTICLE SAYS AGAIN BUT GET UR DICTIONARY FIRST….YOU *&^&*(&)*()_
amending the law where necessary to ensure that offences of simple marijuana possession can be dealt with outside from the ambit of the court system.”
His claims comes after weeks of repeated concerns by Magistrate Evalina Baptist presiding over matters at the Roseau Magistrate Court that the cases of simple cannabis possession are “clogging up the court system,” and that the court and Police is becoming “overwhelm by these conditions.”
WHAT SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THAT MY FRIEND????? IS ENGLISH YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE?????????????
them police charging you for a little joint. Have you sleeping in Cell for a little Spliff and them babylon themselves smoking their private joint and not getting charged shit.So why press d poor man that jus trying and hold a meds. So Mr lawyer man thanks for bringing up that suggestion. Light it up
If u can legalize gay what wrong with legalizing weed
that’s a very good point . it time we stop having people eat the tax payers money 4 little nonsense a joint man? i don’t smoke. but what he is saying is true.
Kondwani brother u give me hope………coming from one of your peers…..we need more educated people like u to keep give Dominicans assurance that the crooks will not be leading the blind in my country. we need 20 to a hundred more like u. i should have a daughter for you to marry…….my heart would be in place because you are an INTELLIGENT young man. RUN FOR P.M YOU HAVE MY VOTE ALREADY. JUST PROMISE THAT YOU WILL LEAD IN THE VERY SAME FASHION THAT U SPOKE THERE.
It’s really about time we reconsidered the punishment for simple marijuana possession because these people (mainly young men)go to prison and they come out and that still does not stop them from smoking. What we can do is put a proper rehabilitation system in place and provide programs that would educate these individuals about possible (if any) negative effects of marijuana smoking.
Hate it or love it the older generation is dying out and the young ones who will be left eventually, do not share some of the same stigmas towards marijuana as the older ones did. It is being more and more accepted socially and eventually it will be decriminalized and maybe even sold and taxed by the governments of the world.
Amen Brother. We need more of our intellects to be the masses vocal piece. They may not hear the ordinary man on the street but they will hear a man of the law. I have seen young, able men go to jail for 6 months for one joint…………………..pure nonsense.
I would like to see some time in my lifetime that Mary Jane is totally legal. I mean, can someone really explain to me why it is not? I have yet to see neither any scientific evidence nor the empirical data to show that Herb causes death or negative actions to society, it just heals the mind, body and soul, but like everything, it should be taken in moderation and should NOT be abused.
LEGALIZE IT
not legalize my brother………decriminalize….. i smoke weed scince i was 14 and im 33 now, and i dont want any of my kids to smoke ANYTHING, though they WILL make their own decision but legalization is a whole different topic
Why should you and I have to hide to smoke? Why should a plant in its natural state without any added adulterated enhancement to its process flow be Illegal?
I am for Dicriminalization but then I believe that seme cotwa, joy juice should be illegal too becuase at higher dosage, it may have some effect on the body.
Why should it be hidden from the mouths of babes and sucklings when man, woman and child can use with without fear of mental, physical and spiritual illness? Why do all animals love the herb?
I too smoke Marijuana from my teenage years and I too am at the next level finishing a Phd program hoping to positively contribute to my country and Marijuana never detered me at any level.
Please explain to me why Marijuana is Illegal?
LEGALIZE IT
Herb will be what it is,as it was in the beginning.it is nature,not man-made.the only illegal thing about ganja,is the commercial.the world knows this is a useless fight.waste of finance,human resources,and time.stop fighting nature,educate the people on the positive and negative effects of marijuana.thank u DNO.
If you are already a ganger smoker it would be a waist of DNO’s time to educate you on the negative effects of the ganger as you would already be biased to any facts and would not listen to any reasoning but your own.
u need to learn how to spell
i bet your a batty man supporter. free the weed
One more thing
“Herb will be what it is,as it was in the beginning.it is nature,not man-made.the only”
There are poisonous plants too… its from nature… its not man-made..However? Would you eat them?
The venom from the snake is an example.it kills it heals.the baton dasheen,it itches when in contact with the skin,yet we make calalou with it. FOOD FOR THOUGHT!
No comparison whatsoever.
Finally someone realizes that simple possession of marijuana is a waste of the courts time and tax payers money. Dominica Police Force and Dominica Drug Squad are more concerned about marijuana than cocaine & crack. They would rather imprison the poor man for having a few grams of marijuana instead of the big boys selling kilograms of cocaine.
I understand what you saying.. but lets think about this for a second… what should we do next? should we build a marijuana factory? Cause if having a 5 bag is legal and someone is caught with a 5 bag where would he have gotten that 5 bag from? wouldn’t he have gotten it from a supplier? And if he is caught and the police asks where did he get the marijuana from and he refuses to answer isn’t that obstruction of justice?
Where would he have gotten the 5 bag from? Did he grow it himself? Would that be legal too? Did he get it from a supplier? Would supplying be legal too?
Wouldn’t the encouragement of having a 5 bag encourage supplying?
BIG A%% there is what they call a misdemeanor that u pay a fine for like a traffic ticket……god man… buy a ticket and go somewhere and learn what life is really like outside your little bubble…… one other thing…….Dominica makes more foreign currency from the illegal export of weed that it makes from tourism or any other legal sector……..grab and read a book other that brer anansi my people.. PLEASE let us come into the 21st century.
Lol and I suspect that’s the weed making you a bit more wiser aint it? How long can you go without a smoke? Don’t have money to buy food the economy tight.. but you using the money to buy some weed and then right after you hungry. Eh… Jack A%%
the only thing i stoop to do is to shit…… but you obviously stoop to do other things…… ooopppss did I expose you that your really not the intellect that u pretending to be??? come better than that my fellow Dominican. I refuse to take out mapwe with anyone here, If u have an effective rebuttal then speak up, other wise u really have nothing to say that can impress or belittle me. i wont stoop with u FRIEND….
please forgive my typos already etc. am just stealing a few minutes online got to get back to working.
Yes I !…. BRO I know you’ll be so soooooooo…… HAPPPPPPPY….
good point, but allu spell the man name wrong….
i think its kondwani lol
Well said! Time fuh we wake up. Hmmm let me think, na we dont have the intellectual capacity to get it!!!
Alas alas what a butcher of the man name
I totally agree Mr. Williams. More time could be spent doing other things
I totally agree with you on this statement Mr. Williams. I think in this day and age, Marijuana should be decriminalized, unless caught with the intent to supply. But for the case of ones own personal use, I think that it should not be taken to courts.
Whether implementing a set amount that a person can be caught with before pressing charges against that individual. Do not get me wrong, it will still be illegal to smoke marijuana in public places, because not everybody is into that. At the same time, If one should get caught with it a mere 5 bag, on him/her, i think that the Police should just take it away and not have to charge that person.
But I guess, this is a way for government to make some extra money through the court systems.
just my though
I understand what you saying.. but lets think about this for a second… what should we do next? should we build a marijuana factory? Cause if having a 5 bag is legal and someone is caught with a 5 bag where would he have gotten that 5 bag from? wouldn’t he have gotten it from a supplier? And if he is caught and the police asks where did he get the marijuana from and he refuses to answer isn’t that obstruction of justice?
Where would he have gotten the 5 bag from? Did he grow it himself? Would that be legal too? Did he get it from a supplier? Would supplying be legal too?
Wouldn’t the encouragement of having a 5 bag encourage supplying?
And further, if mahaut is proposing that a 5 bag should not be illegal, why should the police “just take it away”? you see the kind of slippery slope upon which we place ourselves? we have to think with some logic.
GOD!!! U PEOPLE DONT UNDERSTAND WHAT DECRIMINALIZATION IS?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? THE MAN DID NOT SAY TO LEGALIZE WEED MY PEOPLE….. HE SAID DECRIMINALIZE…. AND THAT’S IF HE EVEN PROPOSED THAT AT ALL…. THIS MEANS U GET A FINE LIKE A TRAFFIC TICKET FOR 5 GRAMS OR LESS….. PLEASE TAKE ALLU TIME AND READ WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED…..
LEGALIZATION OF WEED IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN IN THIS CENTURY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BUT WHY I ASK U…. MUST SOOOOOOOOO MANY YOUNG MEN GO TO JAIL FOR A JOINT???????? THEN THEIR RECORD SPOIL FOR LIFE…..
BEFORE YOU HAVE LOGIC U MUST COMPREHENSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JAH BOY LAUGH ALONE I CAN LAUGH ALLU SMART PEOPLE WE
i could not agree with you more on that statement
I agree 100%,it’s about time we seriously look at this.A waist of the courts time….
Say it louder Bro. That issue should be discussed all over the island……then call a referendum after making a clean voters list..
I strongly agree!!
Well said Mr. Williams, its time we got to that stage, where carrying one joint is not a criminal offense.
They can run on that theme and win next election lol
I am certain Medard ‘s gonna run withthat idea as reaching the next level. From a medical stand point ,marijuana is addictive i know as a psychiatrist in addiction medicine. The legal issues and unemployment i totally agree but can we allow our population to reach that famously talked about next level by legalizing marijauna?
Am open to hear serious facts not of the lip talk.
Question for Mr.Williams have you ever smoked? I sense what your intentions might be.
Am a lawyer too. So am alraedy at the next level.