A Neuroscientist and Addiction specialist from University of Columbia, Professor Carl Hart will on Thursday (July 18) deliver lecture on Decriminalization of drug use in Ghana at the AMA office in Accra.
Professor Hart’s visit, comes at a time when Ghana is reviewing her drug law, with the aim of placing the health and well being of people who use drugs, as well as communities, at the Centre of the country’s drug policies.
He is in the country at the request of the West African Drug Policy Network, POS Foundation and Crime Check Foundation, whose initiative is in partnership with the Parliamentary Select Committee on Interior and Defense.
The lecture will focus on the Narcotics Commission Bill 2019 with special reference to the Laws on Cannabis.
CEO of Crime Check Foundation, Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, said the Lecture intends to appeal to the Parliamentary Select Committee, to be much more liberal in considering the Narcotics Commission Bill, with a view to decriminalisation, which allows the country to explore the health, human rights , economic, and environmental benefits.
The African Consultant for the International Drug Policy Consortium, Maria-Goretti Ane-Loglo, observed the lecture is taking place at a time, when humane Drug Policies are being considered by many countries across the globe.
She said Ghana has been very slow, to visualize the emerging possibilities of decriminalization of drugs for personal use, especially around Cannabis, because of misconceived ideas and perceptions.
