By Benjie Cooper
IG: @nuglifenews
YouTube: Lucid’s Vlog
While cannabis continues to gain legal status in an increasing number of places around the world, it is still a banned substance in most countries. In Egypt, the penalty for cannabis use is a minimum of one year in jail and a fine of at least 1,000 Egyptian pounds ($56 US).
But one lawmaker is looking to change the country’s current policy in hopes of giving young people a chance at a better future.
Member of the House of Representatives, John Talaat, presented a proposal this week to send users of cannabis and other substances to three to six months of addiction therapy treatment instead of handing down fines and prison time.
The proposed law was met with mixed reactions from lawmakers and others, some of whom felt that it would lead to an increased number of users in the country.
Talaat said that keeping young people out of prison and re-integrating them into society would be more beneficial to Egypt than keeping them locked up. He also stated that the money used to imprison offenders would be better used to offer them treatment instead.
According to Talaat, he is currently working on finalizing the draft law and plans to introduce it into Parliament on October 21.
