By Mr. BIKELE NO AH Lam bert (MINJUSTI C E) - PDF document

THIRD PRESEN TA TIO N LEGALFRAMEWOR K FORTHE PREVENTION AND SU PPR ES S ION OF CANNABIS CU LTIV AT I O N By Mr. BIKELE NO AH Lam bert (MINJUSTI C E) zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA 25

Introduction zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA AlI nations of the world are currently experi e ncin g the unprecedented and illicit development of the production, trafficking and u se of d r ugs and psychotropic substances . Cameroon is facing the same struggle . C anna bi s is one of the most widely produced and consumed drugs in Cameroon w ith a wide trafficking network. And the consumption of this drug is wreaking h av oc among the youth . It is important to note that the cultivation and trafficking dr ug , especially cannabis, significantly increases delinquency and violence and c a u ses d a mage to persons and property . Thus, to effectively combat this scourge, Cam e roon re adily cooperates at the internationallevel and has adopted internallaws to sup press d r ug - related acts. 1. A t the International Level The fight against the cultivation, marketing , traff ic k ing, possession and consumption of cannabis requires cooperation with th e inter national community. Thus, the United Nations (UN) took the bull by th e hO illS b y se tting up an office on Drugs and Crime. Government regularly attends sessions o f th e UN O ffice on Drugs and Crime and regularly sends in questionnaires and form s wh i c h provide data on the nature and extent of the trafficking of drugs, especially canna bi s . Between 1961 and 1988, the UN submitted thr ee inte r national conventions for adoption by Member States which make up the body of international legal rules for fighting this global scourge now considered as o r ganiz e d c r ime . These include: - The Single Convention on Narcotic DIUgS of 19 61, ra ti f ied by Cameroon on 15 January 1962 and amended by the 1972 Proto col . - The Convention on Psychotropic Substanc es o f 19 7 1 ra tified by Cameroon on 5 June 1981 . - The United Nations Convention against I 1lic i t Traffic in Narcotic Drugs adopted on 19 December 1988 and ratified by Camer oon on 28 October 1991 . This Convention is the first to provide a leg a l fr ameworkto effectively fight the multifaceted aspects of drug trafficking w h ic h has developed today into an international criminal activity. - ln January 2011, Cameroon signed a Bilateral Agr ee m e nt with Spain which co vers collaboration and sharing of mat er i a l s and information on the trafficking of drugs. zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA 26

A t the D omestic Level zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA II. - A National Committee for the Fight again s t Ha rd D rugs has been created in 1992; - Thematic meetings on drug trafficking w e r e h e ld i n d iffe r e nt Ministries; - Campaigns were conducted to raise a waren es s, ad voc ate, impound, and destroy cannabis fanns on a large scale. - Customs officers, policemen , and gendarmes w ere p r ovided with mod e rn and frequently updated equipment to ef f e cti ve l y de tec t and suppress drug traffi cking. - The country ' s main airport s have also b een prov ided with improved equipment for better control. - On 12 November 2014, an Inter-rninist e rial Com mitt ee for the Fight against Hard Drugs was created. - An action plan for 2015-2016 was draft e d and ado pt e d b y the Committee. Committed to fulfilling international cornmitm ent s a nd participating in the struggle at the globallevel , on 7 August 1997 , Cam e r o o n ad o pt e d a nationallaw in accordance with international conventions. The law in question i s Law No. 97/019 of 7 Augu s t 19 97 on the control of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precur s o rs a n d on extradition and judicial assistance in connection with the tra f fi cking o f d r ugs, psychotropic s ubstances and precursors. This law classifies cannabi s an d c a n nabis resin in Table I of high-risk drugs, and punishes activities related to th e cu ltivation, marketing , posses s ion and use of drugs, e s pecially cannabis. ln a signif i ca nt way, this Law has i nten s ified the fight a gainst the cultivation , traffickin g a nd lm su s e of drug s in Cameroon. Drug-related activities are a threat not only to th e physical and mental health of the population , but are also closely link e d to other forms of organized crime which endangers the pol i tical, economie and s o c i a l s tability of the State. Hence, there is a need for urgent action by Justic e to p u n is h t h es e criminal acts . It is worth noting prima facie that the Cam er oo n P e nal Code does not specifically and directly punish the cultivation , mark e t ing a nd consumption of cannabis . These acts are regulated and sanction e d by Law N O .97/19 of 7 August 1997 aforementioned . Section 91 of this Law states that any p e r so n found g uilty of violating the legal provisions governing the cultivation , pro du c tion, manufacture , zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA 27

extr a ction , preparation o r proc essi ng of h i gh- r i sk drug s in cluding cannabi s , s hall be punished by imprisonm e nt o f lO t o 20 y ea rs an d a fine of CF A F 250,000 to CFAF 1 , 250 , 000 or o nly on e o f th ese p e nalt i e s. Th e same penalties shall b e a pplic a bl e to any pers on involv e d in t he e x portation , importation and internation a l t rafficking o f high-risk d r ug s includ i ng cann a bis (Section 92). Those who violate the legal provision s c o nce r n i ng the s upply , marketing , di s t r ibution , brokerage , sale , tr a n s po r tatio n , p urch ase , keep ing or the use of high-ri s k drugs includ in g c anna b is o r cannabi s resi n sha ll a l s o in cur th e sam e penalties (Section 93). Section 94 of the same law s tates that a id ing anothe r pe r s on to illegally u s e high-ri s k drug s including ca nn a b is o n payme nt or f re e ly , e ithe r b y procuring a n accommodation s pace fo r th a t purpo se or by a ny oth e r m ea ns s hall be puni shed by impr i sonment of 5 to 1 0 y ear s an d a fine of C F AF 100 , 000 to C F AF 5 , 000 , 000 , or only on e o f th ese pen alt i es, Those who tolerate the u s e of high-risk drug s i nc luding cannabi s i n in s titutio n s or their outbuilding s opened to or u se d by t h e public shall b e liable to the same penalt i es. Those who add high-risk d r ugs includin g canna b is t o food o r drinks , unknown to th e consum e r , s hall be liabl e t o the sam e pena lties. Any pe r son who offer s or tran s fe r s high-r i s k d rugs in c luding cannabis ta a p e rson for pe r sonal con s umption s hall b e pu ni sh e d by impr isonme nt of 2 to 5 year s and a f ine of C F A F 50 , 000 t o CF AF 250 , 000 or only on e of th ese penalties (Section 95). The following penalti e s shall b e doubl e d ( Section 105) • Wh e n the o f fence i s comm i tt e d in a . mili t ar y , t e aching or e ducational institution , a hospit a l o r hea lt hc are c e nt r e, a s oci a l se r vic e cen tr e or , in any oth er p lac e or school w h e r e s tud en t s carry out educative, sports or s oci a l a ctiviti es, o r in th e imme d ia te su r rounding s of these institutions o r a reas ; • When the culprit b e longs to a g an g or cr i minal o rg aniz a tion; • When the cu l prit i s involved in oth er il l e gal activ ities facilitated by the offence; • When the culprit r es o r ts to th e u se o f violence or weapon s ; • When the culp r it hold s a publi c of f i ce a nd th e o f fenc e I S conunitted in the exer cis e of hi s duti es; zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA 28