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Africa: Rwanda Moves to Legalize Medical Marijuana

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #636)
Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy

The Rwandan Ministry of Health has sent to Parliament a bill that would legalize the use of marijuana and other drugs for medical purposes, the Rwandan newspaper New Times reported Wednesday. Health Minister Dr. Richard Sezibera, who presented the draft law governing drugs, psychotropic substances, and precursors, said the bill would protect the population.

Richard
"The objective of this bill is to contribute to the protection of the population while ensuring that drugs and psychotropic substances are exclusively available for scientific and medical purposes," Sezibera told the Parliament.

The bill complies with United Nations conventions on drugs and responds to the UN's call for every country to have laws against illegal drugs and to control dangerous medications, said Sezibera. At the same time, it achieves the Health Ministry's mandate to ensure that citizens have adequate access to medications, he said.

"Medically, usage of such substances help in relieving the pain and problems related to psychic troubles," said Sezibera. "The medicine will thus be available and correctly utilized."

Members of Parliament endorsed the bill without objection, New Times reported.

Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.

Comments

The Rwandan government is using a law they passed making it a crime to deny the Rwandan genocide to jail its political opponents, and has jailed an American lawyer who came to the country with the intention of defending some of those who were already imprisoned. Will marijuana get you through a time of no civil rights better than civil rights get you through a time of no marijuana?

Fri, 06/11/2010 - 2:20pm Permalink
McD (not verified)

In reply to by Brothermartin (not verified)

Whether or not you enjoyed extensive civil rights, it would probably better to have cannabis than it would be not to have it, wouldn't it?

Anyway, the expression relates, and is appropriate to, money; NOT civil or human rights: 'Cannabis can help you through times of no money far better than money can help you through time of no cannabis.' There's a big difference between money and rights here.

Sat, 06/12/2010 - 8:54am Permalink

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