Policy includes fines instead of criminal penalties for non-multiple repeat offenders.
The government is shifting toward decriminalizing – but not
legalizing – recreational cannabis use, Public Security Minister Gilad
Erdan announced on Thursday.
Erdan said the policy is
“decriminalization with responsibility,” which would still include
fines, but not a criminal record, for possessing more than 15 grams of
marijuana.
Erdan noted that his plan still needs the cabinet’s approval.
According
to the “four strikes” policy, after the first offense, a fine would be
issued, but the violator would not acquire a criminal record. The sum
would double after the second offense, and is someone is caught for the
third time, the police could close the case if the offender agreed to a
number of measures, including joining a rehabilitation program or
having his driver’s or gun license revoked.
After someone is caught for the fourth time, the police would launch criminal procedures.
For
minors, after the first strike the youth would be directed to
treatment. The second strike would see the offender enter a
rehabilitation center, and after the third offense criminal procedures
would begin.
“We want to educate our youth that using drugs is
damaging,” Erdan said. “On the other hand, the police do not have the
right tools to deal with the damage caused by using drugs. For example,
police do not know how to deal with people who drive under the
influence of drugs. This is why we must have a broad and conclusive
policy change.”
Erdan said he has always taken this topic
seriously and would not make irresponsible decisions concerning it,
decisions made without understanding the policy’s consequences.
“The legitimacy of using drugs has only grown among the public,” he said.
MK
Ilan Gilon (Meretz) said Erdan’s plan is far from perfect, but it
definitely shows a change in the attitude toward cannabis users.
“I
see it as positive and essential,” Gilon said. “For years Israel had
an old and stigmatizing policy toward cannabis users that mostly
benefited the industry’s stakeholders. It is time to put an end to it.”
MK
Sharren Haskel (Likud), chairwoman of the Knesset Caucus for Medical
Cannabis, expressed satisfaction, saying her long struggle has finally
brought results.
“We won!” she said. “The public security
minister, the last objector, announced his support of canceling the
policy of criminalizing cannabis users.”
Haskel said this is only the beginning.
“I will continue to fight to change the law and bring justice to a million Israeli [cannabis users].”
MK Merav Ben-Ari (Kulanu) said it is about time the country aligned with the West’s treatment of marijuana users.
“They are not criminals and there is no reason that they will have a police record,” she said.
The
only MK to speak out against the move was Oren Hazan (Likud), who said
he fears the policy will lead to a tidal wave of drug dealers.
“A
fine is not like a criminal record, which deters those who wish to
take advantage of the situation to earn easy money,” he said. “It is a
dangerous policy for our young generation and for the entire State of
Israel.”
Senior figures from NGOs that promote legalization
expressed satisfaction with Erdan’s policy proposal. The co-founder of
the New Liberal Movement said this proposal marks the end of the
obsessive persecution of cannabis users.
“Not only did [the
prosecution] not benefit anyone, it harmed individual rights and wasted
millions of shekels of taxpayers’ money,” Boaz Arad said. “The
decision to change the policy is brave, important and promotes Israeli
citizens’ freedom to choose without fear of criminalization. It is an
opportunity to say it one more time – cannabis users are not criminals,
and using it in a responsible way and in a controlled manner is not any
more harmful than drinking alcohol.”
iCAN: Israel-Cannabis, the
NGO that runs the annual CannaTech conference, which promotes the
legalization of cannabis, also welcomed the announcement.
“This
change will significantly increase entrepreneurship and investment in
cannabis in Israel as the old stigma of criminal cannabis disappears,”
said Saul Kaye, the NGO’s co-founder.
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