By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

RASTAFARIAN leaders want free cannabis cultivation licences as reparations for years of being criminalised for marijuana possession.

Rithmond McKinney, the High Priest of the local Rastafarian Bobo Shanti Tribe, said yesterday: “I think that’s supposed to be a part of retribution because of all discrimination and the profiling the Rasta went through over the years.”

“Every time the police see a Rasta, they are searching him, saying he is going for some cannabis or he has some cannabis on him. We been incarcerated so much and being searched and victimised so much for it and they know the Rasta was the one who was firmly saying this is a sacrament to us and it’s also a medicinal medicine.”

Mr McKinney said members of his community expect to meet Attorney General Ryan Pinder soon before the legislation is tabled in the House of Assembly next month.

Religion members want to ensure the government amends the original draft, which had elements they opposed.

That legislation would let Rastafarian organisations get a religious use licence to distribute cannabis to members as a sacrament, but the substance could only be used on the premises for which the licence or exempt event permit is issued.

According to the regulations, people with a religious use licence could permit the smoking or other use of cannabis to members of that place of worship as a sacrament within that place.

However, Rastafarians say this infringes on their religious freedom and forces them to adjust their practices because the majority of practitioners do not use cannabis at their place of worship.

People with a religious use licence could apply for a cultivation licence. However, only people who have never been convicted of an offence under the Dangerous Drugs Act, the Proceeds of Crime Act, or the Criminal Justice (International Co-operation Act) would be eligible for a licence. This has also drawn the ire of Rastafarians, who said many were convicted under these laws while trying to practice their fatih.

“We still want to see how far the government have it with the Rasta community to be involved and how many licences they would allow us to have within our community,” Mr McKinney said.

“Maybe, I don’t know one, two, three? I’m not sure. Of course, not everybody in the Rastafarian community could be able to get a licence so if they give us two for our community that would be good or maybe more.

“But we don’t know exactly what they have in place for us as yet so we still want to have a next consultation with them so we could know exactly whether we agree with what’s going on.”

In February, Mr McKinney said Rastafarians with small amounts of marijuana experienced a decline in arrests.

“The minister of national security did assure us that he was going to speak to the commissioner of police concerning that matter,” he said at the time. “So, as of late, we see a slow down on our members being arrested.”

However, he said yesterday that despite assurances from National Security Minister Wayne Munroe, some continue to be arrested.