The Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong, has praised Government of Ghana for the passage of the new Narcotics Control Commission Act 2020[ Act 1019] to help reduce the usage of drug in the country.
“In 2014, I was privileged to be member of the 6th parliament and this bill was introduced in parliament. Unfortunately we couldn’t complete the cycle ensuring it has become an act to guide as respect of our policy and management for the related issues on drugs,” he observed.
He disclosed how privileged he was to be a member of the 7th parliament but chaired and led the passage of this bill to become law and is gratifying to be sensitizing themselves with the good works that the house is doing for the country under the sponsorship of Ministry of Interior.
Mr. Kwame Acheampong stated, he is very excited that the law is being recognized as a progressive law.
The Ghana’s new drug law seeks to treat drug use and dependence as a public health issue rather than focusing on law enforcement, punishment and repression.
The Eastern Regional Minister made this known at a sensitization workshop with the media on ensuring the Effective implementation of the Narcotics Control C’ssion Act 2020 [ Act 1019] held in Koforidua on July 29, 2022.
The theme for the programme was” UNDERSTANDING THE NARCOTICS CONTROL C’SSION ACT 2020[ ACT 1019]; THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA IN HEALTH AND RIGHT-BASED BEST PRACTICES TO HANDING PEOPLE WHO USE DRUGS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACT”.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director for Perfector Of Sentiments (POS) Foundation, Jonathan Osei Owusu said, some portion of the law needed to be reviewed and when it is done anybody who want to do narcotics work should go for a license.
Narcotics Control Commission will bring the license to all the 16 regions of Ghana so that those who seek to plant marijuana can do it in a proper way.
Country like California are making huge of amount of money from marijuana despite it negative and positive aspect.
Mr. Osei Owusu adds, weed is use for medicine, hair lads among many other important products. We are not saying people should go and smoke it but we are looking at it positive impact that will benefit the country.
Furthermore, the Eastern Regional Police Crime Officer, ACP Mr. Reuben Asiwoku said the fact that the Narcotics bill has been passed into law doesn’t mean there is a freedom for people to be smoking weed anyhow.
He indicated that, the new law converted the prison term for drug possession for personal use into a fine of between 200-500 penalty units (translating to GHC2,400-6000).
It means that instead of sending people to prison for up to 10yrs for simple possession of drug for personal use, they will offer alternatives to incarceration and criminalisation.
By// Kontihen Kofi Oboh.
Source// Obohnews.
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