A leading South African drug expert has called for the partial decriminalisation of dagga, and further debate on the way forward.
Dr Charles Parry, director of the Medical Research Council’s alcohol and drug abuse research group, makes the call in the latest issue of the South African Medical Journal.
”In the short term, consideration should be given to instituting civil rather than criminal penalties for cannabis (dagga) possession, but commercial cultivation or trade in cannabis should not be sanctioned,” said Parry.
”Debate is required on the way forward from here.”
Civil penalties, he said, could be minor fines or community service.
Parry’s article follows a similar call in September last year by the editor of the journal, Dr Dan Ncayiyana, for the decriminalisation of dagga use and a legal framework for a controlled domestic trade in the drug.
Parry, who also serves on the executive of South Africa’s Central Drug Authority, said international experience showed that decriminalisation, as opposed to total legalisation, would not lead to increased use of dagga.
However, other issues that needed to be considered included potential harm posed by dagga use; the effect a policy shift would have on public health, the criminal justice system, the use of other drugs, dagga cultivation and international relations; and public opinion.
He said the negative effects of dagga use ? respiratory disease, dependence, adverse effects on adolescent development, subtle cognitive impairment and the worsening of psychosis ? were likely to affect certain people only, and typically resulted from heavy or sustained use.
Liberalisation of dagga policy would mean substantial savings in law enforcement costs. In February this year alone, 4 613 people were jailed on charges related to possessing and using dagga, and 1 407 for dealing or growing.
”It is also possible that a policy shift would increase respect for the law since current laws on cannabis are widely broken with relative impunity,” he said.
Countries that had changed their dagga policy had generally not experienced a resultant rise in hard drug use, although the close relationship between dagga use and Mandrax in South Africa was a complicating factor.
Full legalisation would put South Africa in contravention of certain United Nations conventions to which it was signatory, and was unlikely to be welcomed by some of its trading partners.
Depending on the policy choice, decisions might also have to be made about whether dagga should be subject to excise duties, whether advertising should be allowed, and whether purchase should be age-restricted.
”It is important that any legislative change does not signal a decrease in concern about the possible health problems associated with cannabis use,” said Parry. – Sapa