A new bill has been presented to parliament. Its aim is to legalize medical marijuana as well as prone rehabilitation rather than repression for drug users. Also in the news, an upsurge of viral infections with the change of season.
Introduction of medical cannabis: Major changes to the law
Medical cannabis will soon be a reality in Mauritius. A bill, the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Bill, has been introduced in Parliament and will be a major game changer on the illicit drug front. One of the major changes that will be made is the rehabilitation of drug users instead of repression in the form of a prison sentence. Indeed, any arrest for possession of drugs for personal use may no longer be a prosecutable offense, on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions. If the DPP so decides, the user will be referred to the newly created Drug Users Administration Panel, which will handle rehabilitation, including treatment and reintegration of the user.
A "Medical Cannabis Therapeutical Committee" will be set up in all regional hospitals in the country to decide on a case by case basis if a person needs medical cannabis treatment. This treatment will only be applied in cases where conventional treatment has proven ineffective. The importation, distribution and use of medical cannabis will be supervised by the Ministry of Health under strict conditions.
Fines and penalties will be increased. For example, the fine for anyone found guilty of drug trafficking, with aggravating circumstances, will be increased from Rs 2 to Rs 10 million. Those found guilty of giving false information in an investigation will face a fine of up to one million rupees and a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Health: Cases of viral infections continue to rise
Take precautions. Cases of acute respiratory infections and influenza are on the rise. In fact, 4,207 new cases were recorded from October 17 to 23. Children are the most affected. Health centers have registered a high number of children with symptoms such as fever, headache and throat infections. Gastroenteritis cases have also been on the rise for the past two weeks. 1,751 cases were recorded from October 10 to 23. The government calls for vigilance.
