A brand new U.S. State Division report on non secular discrimination internationally appears to be like at how marijuana legal guidelines in numerous international locations both respect or violate the rights of sure believers to follow their faiths.
However though the federal authorities is once more making it some extent within the newest version of the annual report to stipulate ongoing cannabis-related discrimination in some international international locations, the brand new 2021 Report on Worldwide Spiritual Freedom continues to say no to acknowledge ongoing marijuana prohibition legal guidelines that stay on the books within the U.S.
“The report is designed to highlight examples of presidency and societal motion that typify and illuminate points reported in every nation,” an outline of the report says. “Particular inclusions or omissions shouldn’t be interpreted as a sign {that a} explicit case is of better or lesser significance to the U.S. authorities, or {that a} case is the one accessible instance. Fairly, the aim is to make clear the character, scope, and severity of actions impacting non secular freedom via illustrative examples.”
The newest State Division doc, revealed early this month, discusses hashish insurance policies in a few dozen nations and the way they intersect with non secular liberties, together with by noting {that a} rising motion towards legalization and decriminalization helps to cut back discrimination that has been prevalent up to now.
Right here’s a breakdown of what the report discovered:
Antigua and Barbuda
A current coverage decriminalizing hashish “acknowledges the federal government’s duty to uphold the non secular rights of individuals of the Hindu and Rastafarian faiths,” the State Division stated.
“The regulation permits these individuals to use for a particular non secular license to domesticate the plant inside their non-public dwelling, use the plant for non secular functions inside their non-public dwelling or inside their authorised place of worship, and transport the plant between their non-public dwelling and authorised place of worship,” it continues. “The particular non secular license, nonetheless, doesn’t allow any business or monetary transaction involving any a part of the hashish plant.”
Bahamas
Rastafarians within the Bahamas “continued to state the federal government violated their constitutional proper to spiritual freedom by prohibiting the authorized use of marijuana in ceremonial rituals and detaining group members for utilizing it,” in accordance with the report.
“The earlier authorities had superior, however not handed, laws to allow restricted use of marijuana, together with for non secular functions,” it says. “The brand new administration of Prime Minister Philip Davis had not said by yr’s finish whether or not it could reintroduce this or an analogous invoice. In October the federal government started reviewing expungement functions from people convicted of possession.”
Barbados
Rastafarian in Barbados fought exhausting for reform and efficiently helped usher in an period of decriminalization that makes possession of as much as 14 grams of hashish a non-criminal offense, the U.S. authorities famous.
“In March, with the said intention of creating higher use of police and courtroom assets, amongst different causes, the federal government decriminalized the private possession and use of as much as 14 grams of marijuana, a change within the regulation that the Rastafarian group supported,” the State Division stated. “Based on media, Lawyer Common Dale Marshall stated that hashish possession of 14 grams or fewer would lead to a high quality fairly than felony costs.”
Belize
The report on Belize cites vital pushback to efforts to legalize marijuana within the nation, notably from the Nationwide Evangelical Affiliation of Belize (NEAB). The group characterised the reform proposal as “shockingly offensive.”
The Belize Council of Church buildings (BCC) additionally resisted the coverage change. NEAB, for its half, stated that the push for legalization was financially motivated.
“On July 2, the federal government launched a invoice to amend the Misuse of Medication Act, which might authorize the legalization of marijuana,” the report says. “The invoice sought to determine a provision for the licensing and registration of enterprises working within the hashish business that may enable individuals to domesticate, course of, distribute, and ship hashish for grownup use.”
“In October, the NEAB said it was ‘deeply involved’ that authorities involvement within the marijuana enterprise meant the official promotion of marijuana use and growth. NEAB officers stated they’d been voicing their issues to the Minister of House Affairs and New Development Industries Kareem Musa however have been nonetheless ready for a proper assembly. The BCC additionally expressed concern that the federal government didn’t “search and take into account enter on necessary ethical and societal points.”
“The BCC stated that legalizing the cultivation and distribution of marijuana would encourage widespread use of the drug, inflicting results on the human physique, notably younger individuals, and was ‘not a path civil society ought to select to take,’” the division stated. “In response, Minister Musa stated the invoice was meant to manage an already present business and, after assembly with the BCC, he stated that necessities within the regulation would stop the straightforward accessibility of marijuana to minors. At yr’s finish, the invoice remained pending earlier than parliament.”
Dominica
In Dominica, “Rastafarians continued to press the federal government to legalize marijuana use,” the report says.
“In October 2020, parliament decriminalized the possession of as much as 28 grams of marijuana to people 18 years and above for private non secular use,” it notes. “Representatives of the Rastafarian group stated authorities didn’t implement the regulation towards utilizing marijuana when the group used it in its non secular rites.”
Guyana
The federal government of Guyana put ahead laws final yr to “take away custodial sentences for the possession of fewer than 30 grams of hashish and take away fines for utilizing hashish.” However after being transmitted to a choose legislative committee, it has thus far stalled.
“Based on media, representatives of the Rastafarian group continued to state a regulation criminalizing the possession of 15 grams or extra of marijuana infringed on their non secular practices,” the report says, citing a Rastafarian chief who stated that “to disclaim me the holy herb for my sacrament is to disclaim me my human rights.”
“The Guyana Rastafari Council continued to petition the federal government to legalize using small quantities of marijuana for non secular functions, holding common protests in entrance of the workplace of the Lawyer Common,” the State Division stated. “In October, the final secretary of the council instructed media that authorities had performed raids on their locations of worship to grab marijuana.”
“A Rastafarian member of the IROG stated he didn’t imagine that the measures taken by the federal government to introduce however not cross laws have been adequate and requested for worldwide assist to foyer the federal government,” it continued.
Jamaica
One of many international locations mostly related to hashish, Jamaica nonetheless struggles with restrictive insurance policies, the report notes.
“The [Jamaica Defense Force] usually continued to refuse acceptance of Rastafarians into its ranks,” the State Division stated. “The JDF beforehand famous it didn’t discriminate primarily based on faith or denomination, however it said that the pressure’s strict codes of conduct concerning hair size and the prohibition of marijuana use amongst its members have been the obstacles to Rastafarian participation within the pressure.”
Nonetheless, “Rastafarians continued to report wider societal acceptance, regardless of continued destructive stereotyping and stigma related to their carrying locs and smoking marijuana.”
Malawi
“Rastafarians continued to object to legal guidelines making the use and possession of hashish a felony offense within the nation, stating its use was part of their non secular doctrine,” the report says.
Saint Kitts and Nevis
The State Division report says that the regulation of Saint Kitts and Nevis “permits the non-public use of marijuana away from public locations, together with for non secular actions, in addition to in registered locations of worship for members of the Rastafarian religion.”
Saint Lucia
In Saint Lucia, Rastafarian representatives have stated that the federal government’s transfer to decriminalize possession of as much as 30 grams of marijuana represented “a welcome step.” Nonetheless, “Rastafarians referred to as for additional motion, equivalent to legalizing hashish manufacturing or expunging felony information of these beforehand convicted.”
The report cites feedback from Prime Minister Pierre, who apologized for the previous coverage of criminalization and stated that the modest coverage change “is step one of many as we search to create a medicinal and leisure hashish business and decriminalize using hashish.”
“Rastafarians in Saint Lucia will be capable of follow their faith with out concern of flouting our nation’s regulation,” the prime minister stated.
The State Division report famous that “some Rastafarians said the regulation’s deal with possession was illogical as a result of manufacturing remained unlawful, whereas different Rastafarian group members confused the potential financial positive aspects from authorized, large-scale hashish manufacturing.”
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
“Rastafarians stated they have been more and more accepted in society, and total, the nation’s residents have been turning into extra tolerant of their lifestyle, together with of their use of hashish,” the report notes. “Possession and use of two ounces or fewer of marijuana is permitted, together with for non secular sacraments.”
“In March, the federal government publicly said that marijuana use and possession of 56 grams (two ounces) or fewer was now decriminalized,” it continued. “Through the yr, the Medical Hashish Authority reported it granted some licenses to ‘conventional cultivators,’ together with members of the Rastafarian group.”
“Observers stated there was widespread and rising use of hashish on the nation’s primary island, which they believed steered broader societal acceptance of its use.”
Trinidad and Tobago
Rastafarians in Trinidad and Tobago say that “the federal government continued to ban the manufacturing, sale, and consumption of marijuana, though they didn’t report any arrests or fines of their members throughout the yr.”
“Rastafarians stated this prohibition underneath the nation’s regulation was an infringement on their non secular freedom to entry hashish, which they stated was a core part of their non secular practices,” the report says.
United States
The State Division report once more doesn’t focus on home hashish coverage or its discriminatory results on marijuana customers, whilst U.S. courts have frequently rejected instances arguing that non secular exceptions needs to be made to the nation’s hashish criminalization legal guidelines that lead to tons of of 1000’s of arrests yearly.