Rabat – A group of young Tunisians is calling for the establishment of a National Cannabis Bureau, and the end of the nationwide ban on cannabis.
The youth group, “Badal,” claims that the law criminalizing the consumption of weed is detrimental to the future of young Tunisians, according to a report by Tunisian news outlet Albawaba.
The youth-led movement calls to eradicate “Law No. 52” that penalizes cannabis consumption, explaining that it’s “cruel,” the report added.
An activist speaking to Albawaba explained that her brother, who was then months away from graduating with an Engineering degree, was arrested for smoking cannabis, and he is currently serving a prison sentence.
Under Law 52, smoking hashish is penalized with a one-year prison sentence for anyone charged with drug possession. And the prison sentence can reach five years in case the culprit has a criminal history.
Badal calls for the government to revoke Law 52. While most countries are delisting cannabis from the category of dangerous drugs, the law is destroying the lives of many Tunisians, activists told Albawaba.
As part of the cannabis decriminalization campaign, Tunisian activists are also calling on the government to establish a national authority to legalize cannabis and educate consumers to replace Law 52.
Arguments supporting the legalization of cannabis point out Tunisia’s overfilled prisons, noting that prisons have reached 150% capacity because of the high number of cannabis-related arrests. 20% of prisons in Tunisian prisons are charged with cannabis consumption, according to reports.
In Tunisia and elsewhere, advocates for the legalization of cannabis maintain that the substance is not similar to other types of drugs as it does not entail many of the health risks associated with conventional drugs.
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