Indopedia All Things Marijuana
A bill in the Central American nation of Belize that allows for the possession of up to 10 grams of marijuana without criminal penalty was signed into law yesterday by the Governor General.
The legislation was originally introduced in August by the Belizean government and allows for monetary fines instead of prosecution and criminal records. The Belize Misuse of Drugs Act originally called for anyone in possession of marijuana to be criminally charged, but the new amendment allows for no criminal charges for under 10 grams.
The bill came forward with significant debate from senators over the last few months, with one senator, Osmany Salas, stating countries that have decriminalized marijuana usually provide drug abuse counselors for youth. Salas added that Belize currently does not have adequate rehab facilities to support decriminalization. There were other senators, however, who felt the decriminalization of marijuana couldn’t come soon enough.
“I think it would be naïve for us on this side of the honorable house to feel that smoking weed is not prevalent in our society,” said Opposition Leader John Briceno on Oct. 20 when the House officially passed the bill….
