MONROVIA – On Thursday November 23, 2023, the drug law dramatically appeared on the Senate’s agenda for debate, despite the law being passed by both houses of the Legislature (Senate & Representatives) and signed into law by the president.
By Henry Karmo
The agenda item was immediately removed from the Senate’s agenda after it was highlighted by Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, who questioned the secretariat decision to include on the agenda a law that has already being passed.
Like the drug law, there are suspicions that the outgoing administration is working behind the scene to weaken the drug law and to undo some of the agencies that were given them back their tenure status.
“It a plan orchestrated by the outgoing administration to weaken the drug law and undo some of the de tenured institutions of government to give back to them tenure status. They taught they were here for every and their intent at the time was to make the President powerful,” Sen. Darius Dillon.
In July of 2023, President George Manneh Weah signed into law the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act of 2023, commonly called the Drug Law. The President Weah signed the bill into law after it was passed by the Liberian Legislature following months of deliberations.
The passage and subsequent signing of the law, according to the Executive Mansion, further signifies President Weah’s commitment to fighting illegal drugs and substance abuse, a menace that has plagued the society, endangering and robbing thousands of Liberian youths of a better future.
According to numerous reports, Liberia has one of the highest rates of drug use in West Africa, with cannabis and heroin being the most commonly used, and males are more likely to use drugs than their female counterparts.What’s in the law?The new anti-drug law aims to regulate, restrict, control, limit, or eradicate the illegal export and importation as well as the flagrant use, abuse, and proliferation of narcotic substances within Liberia.
It groups drugs and controlled substances in categories called “Schedules.” They are grouped in Schedules I II, III and IV.Drugs prohibited in Schedule include Acetorphine, Acetyl-alphamethy, lfentanyl, Acetylmethadol, Alfentanil, Allylprodine, Alphacetylmethadol and cocaine among others.In Schedule II, prohibited drugs include Acetyldihydrocodeine, Codeine, Dextropropoxyphene, Dihydr, Ethylmorphine, Nicocodine, Nicodicodine, Norcodeine, Pholcodine and Propiram, while Drugs in the third schedules include Acetyldihydrocodeine, Codeine, Dihydrocodeine, Ethylmorphine, Nicodicodine, Norcodeine, and Pholcodine.
These drugs in Schedule III, according to the law, also fall within this category when compounded with one or more other ingredients and containing not more than 100 milligrams of the drug per dosage unit and with a concentration of not more than 2.5 per cent in undivided preparations.
The penalties
The law provides penalties for specified offenses such as the unlicensed and unauthorized importation of controlled drugs or substances into the country. It termed the importation of controlled drugs, a felony of the first degree and punishable to a prison term of a minimum of ten years and not exceeding twenty years, consistent with provisions of the Penal Code Section 50.5 and 50.6.
The offense shall be a grave offense and shall not be bailable.It adds: “Where the subject matter of the offense is a drug or substances listed in schedule I, or II, III and IV to be used for the purpose of trafficking, the person shall be guilty of a second-degree felony punishable to a prison term of not less than five years and not exceeding ten years.
Where the subject matter of the offense is a drug or substances listed in schedule II, III and IV pursuant to the provisions of section 50.5 and 50.6 of the Penal Law of Liberia.”As to the matter of bail,” the Act states “only cash to the value of the bond or cash’ deposit in the bank to the value of the bond as evidenced by a bank certificate.”Impact of drug It is estimated that two in ten youths in Liberia are users of narcotic substances. To sustain the desire and use of narcotic drugs, these young people who live in ghettos, street corners, and cemeteries often resort to crime, including armed robberies. Many experts believe that the new law will help to reduce drug use and drug-related crime in the country as it sends a strong message to drug dealers that the government is serious about combating drugs.
However, they are of the view that while the law is good, it would not reduce the importation or sale of illicit drugs if a holistic approach that involves aggressive public awareness campaigns, counseling and rehabilitation programs, and the creation of more job opportunities for Liberian youths were neglected. The signing of the law comes nearly two months after the Government of Liberia lost a landmark drug trafficking case.