Georgetown: Sixteen representatives of several Rastafarian organizations across Guyana met with the Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs Mr. Basil Williams at his invitation in the AG’s Chambers today.
The Representatives including the Guyana Healing The Nation Theocracy Party, Guyana Rastafari Council, Twelve Tribes of Israel, House of Nyabinghi, Guyana Rastafari All Mansions (Linden) and a Brooklyn Rastafarian engaged in an in depth discussion with the AG during which they presented documentation to support their claims of human rights violations and marginalization for the use of marijuana as a religious sacrament and a medicinal herb.
The main issues discussed surrounded the decriminalization of the possession of two ounces of marijuana for personal use and the possibility of Guyana establishing a commission to examine marijuana legalization as agreed by the CARICOM leaders in February 2015.
The Attorney General thanked the representatives for their frank discussions noting that he was enlightened by some of their revelations on the uses of marijuana and hemp. He explained that the information and documentation furnished to him has enabled him to better understand their dilemma. The AG informed the Rastafarian Representatives that in keeping with the Government’s mandate of consultation and transparency, the issue will be raised at Cabinet.
Members of the Rastafarian community had staged a picketing exercise on December 3, 2015 outside the Attorney General Chambers in protest of what they opined were unjust laws and advocating for the decriminalization of marijuana. The AG was out of office at the time and this meeting was arranged so as to afford the Rastafarian Representatives a proper forum to voice their concerns.
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