By: Louise Jobe
Janjanbureh NAM, Hon. Omar Jammeh, has urged the National Assembly to amend Section 43 of the Drug Act to effectively deal with all classes of hallucinogenic drugs including Kush.
Hon. Jammeh said this is because Section 43 of the amended 2003 Drug Act does not provide for the prosecution of offenses related to Kush.
Hon. Jammeh, who is a member of the Assembly’s youth committee, told this reporter in an exclusive interview that Kush has not been listed among the list of prohibited drugs that can be prosecuted under the Act.
“There should be tabling of a private members bill or the State should come up with a bill to amend part of Section 43 and with a provision that can cater for Kush and other drugs that are not catered for by the Act,” Hon. Jammeh suggested.
The Janjanbureh NAM said Kush is ruining society, and said the death of youth as a result of its use is shocking.
“I have been following a few cases around the substance when the news broke. When I saw the police report on the death of some young people who consumed Kush, I critically looked at what the security agencies, especially the drug control agency of The Gambia (DLEAG), can do to combat “Kush” use. Not only combating, but making sure that people engaged in trafficking this particular substance or any other drug in this country, are apprehended and prosecuted. However, when I looked at the security apparatus, I understood that there is no particular piece of legislation they can rely on to prosecute some of those trafficking, selling or consuming Kush,” he explained.
He concluded that there should be room for the amendment of the Drug Act to combat this serious issue in our society.
