Yaw Akrasi Sarpong, a former executive secretary of the Narcotic Control Commission, has advised the nation's law enforcement officials to focus less on the arrests and prosecutions of people who use drugs like cannabis for personal use.
He claims that the newly passed Narcotics Control Commission Act 2020, Act 1019, signed by President Nana Akufo-Addo on May 11, 2020, and passed on March 20, 2020, "treats drug use and dependence as a public health issue rather than focusing on enforcement, incarceration, punishment, and repression."
At a training session on ensuring the successful application of the Narcotics Control Commission Act 2020, Act 1019 in Kumasi, conducted by the Perfecter of Sentiment(POS) Foundation, a non-profit organisation, Mr. Sarpong made the remark to police prosecutors and detectives.
a human rights civil society organisation that concentrates its efforts on improving youth development, access to justice, and social accountability.
According to him, drug users require assistance more than anything else "since it is a public health issue, just like someone who has malaria or an ulcer."
Mr. Sarpong emphasised how crucial it is for prosecutors and law enforcement to be current on the law and understand their duties in its execution. He can not get why the State should put someone behind bars for having some marijuana for personal use while simultaneously incurring significant costs to care for the prisoner.
"Let us differentiate between private life and public safety," he said, indicating that he was not pushing people to use drugs or marijuana because they can become addictive.
Mr. Akrasi Sarpong noted that the new law permits daily usage of up to a specified amount of marijuana to be in possession.
He emphasised that the execution of the new law within the intended spirit must be ensured because "the Police are typically the first point of contact and their involvement in safety and security of residents is very vital."
He advised policymakers to legalise marijuana growing so that it may be exported and bring in foreign currency since many nations across the world have already done so.
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