A senator in Puerto Rico has filed a invoice to take away penalties for low-level marijuana possession within the U.S. territory, motivated by President Joe Biden’s current hashish pardons motion.
Unbiased Sen. José Vargas Vidot launched the laws on Tuesday, applauding the president for having “the braveness that many right here have lacked to say out loud that it doesn’t make sense that there are penalties for easy possession of hashish.”
He stated the invoice is all of the extra vital on condition that the governor of the territory has indicated he is not going to be taking over Biden’s name to subject clemency to individuals with native convictions. A number of different governors have stated that they’d be reviewing their authority to that finish.
“In Puerto Rico, the step in direction of [enacting medical cannabis legalization] was taken, however the braveness to decriminalize was missing,” Vidot stated, based on a translation. “If we’re saying that hashish has medical advantages, it’s not logical to criminalize those that devour it. It’s time to change this.”
The total textual content of the proposal is just not but accessible, however an official summary says it might “eradicate all penalties established in opposition to any particular person for possession for private use of marijuana,” based on a translation. It could even be utilized retroactively and “set up a non-controversial presumption” that hashish can be thought-about private consumption.
A information report stated it might apply to possession of as much as 5 grams of marijuana, although distribution would proceed to be criminalized and there wouldn’t be any adult-use retailers for authorized entry.
Vidot has additionally referred to as for broader drug decriminalization, according to Telemundo Puerto Rico.
A spokesperson for Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia (D), who has backed modest hashish reform laws however made dismissive remarks about the advantages of adult-use legalization this yr, signaled that the official wouldn’t be taking steps to subject hashish clemency in keeping with Biden’s request.
Vidot stated that the governor’s response reveals that he’s “missing the need and braveness to take an vital step for justice.”
“Regardless that the purpose ought to be the decriminalization of all medication, as a number of superior jurisdictions have already efficiently finished, with this proposal, we advance the decriminalization of hashish or marijuana, taking step one in that route,” he added.
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A Puerto Rico Justice Division official individually told Noticias Sin that the federal government takes a “therapeutic method” to drug enforcement for individuals with substance misuse issues, seemingly downplaying the urgency of administrative clemency motion.
In the meantime, the governor of one other territory, the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), renewed his name to legalize marijuana this summer season, placing strain on the legislature to enact the reform as a income generator that he says is lengthy overdue.
The governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) signed a invoice to finish prohibition in 2018.
The next yr, the governor of Guam signed legalization into regulation.
Photograph courtesy of Chris Wallis // Aspect Pocket Photos.