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==Law== |
==Law== |
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On February 27, 1939, the ''Dangerous Drugs Act'' |
On February 27, 1939, the government passed the ''Dangerous Drugs Act'' which dealt with drug offences in the Bahamas, including cannabis.<ref name="Fraser">{{cite journal |last1=Fraser |first1=H. Aubrey |title=The Law and Cannabis in the West Indies |journal=Social and Economic Studies |date=September 1974 |volume=23 |issue=3 |page=361-385 |pages=25 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/27861515?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents |accessdate=May 5, 2019}}</ref> |
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In 1962, Act 26 amended the ''Act'', providing a new definition of Indian hemp which, "includes all parts of the plant ''Cannabis Sativa'' whether growing or not from which the resin has not been extracted; the resin extracted from any part of such plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt derivative, mixture or preparation of such plant or resin.<ref name="Fraser"/> |
In 1962, Act 26 amended the ''Act'', providing a new definition of Indian hemp which, "includes all parts of the plant ''Cannabis Sativa'' whether growing or not from which the resin has not been extracted; the resin extracted from any part of such plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt derivative, mixture or preparation of such plant or resin.<ref name="Fraser"/> |
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Revision as of 15:04, 5 May 2019
Cannabis is illegal in the Bahamas.
Law
On February 27, 1939, the government passed the Dangerous Drugs Act which dealt with drug offences in the Bahamas, including cannabis.[1]
In 1962, Act 26 amended the Act, providing a new definition of Indian hemp which, "includes all parts of the plant Cannabis Sativa whether growing or not from which the resin has not been extracted; the resin extracted from any part of such plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt derivative, mixture or preparation of such plant or resin.[1]
Possession with intent to supply
Offence
Section 22(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act states that, "It is an offence for a person to have a dangerous drug in his possession, whether lawfully or not, with intent to supply it to another in contravention of the provisions of this Act.[2]
Section 22(3) of the Act states that if a person is found with two or more packets containing cannabis, they will be presumed to be possessing that drug with the intent to supply it to others, unless they can prove the contrary.[2]
Sentence
If an individual is convicted on information to possessing cannabis with the intent to supply it to another, they are liable to a fine of $500,000.00 or to imprisonment for 30 years, or both, pursuant to Section 22(2)(a) of the Act.[2]
If an individual is convicted summarily to possessing cannabis with the intent to supply it to another, they are liable to a fine of $250,000.00 or to imprisonment for 5 years, or both, pursuant to Section 22(2)(b) of the Act.[2]
If an individual is convicted on information to possessing cannabis with the intent to supply it to a child or young person, they are liable to a fine of $750,000.00 or to imprisonment for 40 years, or both, pursuant to Section 22(4)(a) of the Act.[2]
If an individual is convicted summarily to possessing cannabis with the intent to supply it to a child or young person, they are liable to a fine of $500,000.00 or to imprisonment for 5 years, or both, pursuant to Section 22(4)(b) of the Act.[2]
Economy
The Bahamas role as a transit country for cannabis is noted as beginning in 1968, when 300 pounds of cannabis were flown from Jamaica to Bimini.[3] As recently as 2010 the country was noted as a midpoint for Jamaican cannabis being smuggled to the United States.[4]
Historically the Bahamas was a drug trafficking country, but not a drug producing one, until a 1991 seizure of 40,000 cannabis seedlings and 1,000 adult plants on Andros Island called that assumption into question.[5]
Present-day status
In January 2018, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Regional Commission held a town hall meeting in Nassau on the issue of decriminalizing cannabis.[6]
CARICOM Regional Commission on Marijuana published a report recommending the declassification of marijuana as a dangerous drug in all legislation and the reclassification of the drug as a controlled substance, similarly to tobacco and alcohol. The report stated that the Bahamas could see a financial benefit of around $5 million from the legalization of the substance and regulation of its sale.[7]
The Bahamas National Commission on Marijuana (BNCM) has been tasked with exploring and making recommendations to the government on the issue of cannabis. It is expected to deliver its first draft to the government by August 2019, after receiving a three-month extension to present its findings.[7]
References
- ^ a b Fraser, H. Aubrey (September 1974). "The Law and Cannabis in the West Indies". Social and Economic Studies. 23 (3): 361-385. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
{{cite journal}}: More than one of|pages=and|page=specified (help) - ^ a b c d e f "Dangerous Drugs Act" (PDF). laws.bahamas.gov. Government of Bahamas. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
- ^ Perry Mars; Alma H. Young (2004). Caribbean Labor and Politics: Legacies of Cheddi Jagan and Michael Manley. Wayne State University Press. pp. 207–. ISBN 0-8143-3211-0.
- ^ William R. Brownfield (May 2011). International Narcotics Control Strategy Report: Volume I: Drug and Chemical Control. DIANE Publishing. pp. 248–. ISBN 978-1-4379-8272-5.
- ^ Humberto Garcia Muniz; Jorge Rodriguez Beruff (27 July 2016). Security Problems and Policies in the Post-Cold War Caribbean. Springer. pp. 182–. ISBN 978-1-349-24493-5.
- ^ Major, Brian (January 10, 2018). "Bahamas Explores Marijuana Decriminalization". travelpulse.com. Travel Pulse. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
- ^ a b "Marijuana commission given three-month extension". thenassauguardian.com. The Nassau Guardian. May 2, 2019. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
