The NGO questioned “incongruous” court judgments, referring to instances where cannabis consumers were given harsh sentences whereas in other cases the court had ruled that over 100g of cannabis were considered an amount for personal use.
Releaf said “the use and sale of cannabis is clearly up and running irrespective of its legal status”.
In light of this, the fact that authorities continue to prosecute consumers and growers points to a failure in “enacting legislation aimed to promote a more humane and evidence-based approach.”
Referring to the National Drug Report of 2019, Releaf said the majority of cases in the criminal court decided in 2016 were attributed to the possession of cannabis, in spite of the legal amendments of the Drug Dependence (Treatment not Imprisonment) Act of 2014.