|
Newsbrief:
Belgian
Cannabis
Clarification
Now
in
Effect
2/4/05
https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/373/belgium.shtml
Belgium
passed a law decriminalizing the personal possession of marijuana under
most circumstances in January 2003, but parts of that law have been
in limbo since October, when the Belgian Court of Arbitration, which reviews
new legislation, declared it unconstitutional because of vagueness and
ambiguity in the wording of the law.
For instance, while the law
made clear that most people should not be arrested for simple marijuana
possession, it said they could get busted if their use was "problematic."
The court found that description unclear. As a consequence, Belgian
prosecutors decided they could not apply that section of the law.
This week, the Ministry of
Justice and the Public Prosecutor's Office moved to clarify the situation,
the online news service Expatica reported. Justice Minister Laurette
Onkelinx and the prosecutor's office issued a joint directive specifying
that anyone caught with less than three grams of the weed or growing one
plant to supply himself should receive the lowest form of sanction, a verbal
warning. Under the directive, police cannot confiscate the weed if
it is less than three grams. The clarification went into effect immediately.
People can still be punished
more severely if they are smoking pot near a school or youth center, in
a public place, or in prison.
The Belgian law makes no
provision for marijuana sales. At the time of the law's passage in
2003, Health Ministry spokesman Paul Geerts recommended that pot-hungry
Belgians could "grow it for yourselves or buy it in the Netherlands."
Now, would be growers can rest assured that they can grow at least one
plant without fear of police reprisal.
-- END --
|
Issue #373
-- 2/4/05
Drug
War
Chronicle's
Phil
Smith
Featured
in
New
Book
--
"Under
The
Influence"
Available
as
DRCNet
Premium
|
Editorial:
DEA
Has
Stepped
In
It
This
Time
|
"Not
Your
Father's
Marijuana"
Canard
Again
Exposed
--
This
Time
by
DEA
|
Never
Say
Die:
Nevada
Marijuana
Regulation
Initiative
is
Back
After
Favorable
Federal
Court
Ruling
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DRCNet
Interview:
Roger
Goodman,
King
County
Bar
Association
Drug
Policy
Project
|
Blogging:
Mobile,
Alabama
Police
Chief
Stuck
"Inside
the
Box"
Over
City's
Rising
Drug
Trade
Violence,
and
More
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Newsbrief:
This
Week's
Corrupt
Cops
Stories
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Newsbrief:
DEA
Pain
FAQ
Retract
Flap
Fallout
Continues
--
Criticism
Comes
from
Unexpected
Direction
as
Agency
Seeks
Comments
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Newsbrief:
HEA
Repeal
Picking
Up
Steam
--
Congressional
Advisory
Committee,
Arizona
Legislators
Urge
Rescinding
of
Souder's
Law
|
Newsbrief:
DEA
Must
Pay
Hemp
Industry
Plaintiff's
Legal
Bills,
Court
Rules
|
Newsbrief:
Indiana
Official
Calls
for
National
Agency
to
Provide
Drugs
to
Addicts
|
Newsbrief:
In
Swan
Song,
Ashcroft
Calls
for
Harsher
Sentences,
Chastizes
Foes
|
Newsbrief:
Man
Bites
Dog!
Arkansas
Bill
to
Lower
Meth
Sentences
Moves
Forward
|
Newsbrief:
London
Top
Cop
Warns
He
Will
Target
Casual
Cocaine
Users
|
Newsbrief:
Belgian
Cannabis
Clarification
Now
in
Effect
|
Newsbrief:
Spanish
Pharmacies
to
Begin
Selling
Medical
Marijuana
|
Newsbrief:
Safe
Injection
Site
Opens
in
Oslo
|
Newsbrief:
Rastas,
Watch
Out
At
Ethiopian
Marley
Fest,
State
Department
Warns
|
Newsbrief:
India
Narcs
Set
Off
Prescription
Drug
Panic
|
This
Week
in
History
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The
Reformer's
Calendar
|
|
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