Cannabis in Suriname

Cannabis in Suriname is illegal. Cannabis is the most popular illegal drug in Suriname, with 2% of the adult population having ever used it.[1]

Prohibition

Cannabis was banned in Suriname (then a Dutch colony) in the early years of the 20th century. The drug had been popularized by the arrival of Asian immigrants in the colony. In 1921 the Surinamese Immigrants' Association requested that the ban on ganja be lifted and an import and sales concession be granted to them.[2]

Cultivation

A 1982 report noted that cannabis was becoming more popular in Suriname, and was grown in abandoned plantations near the coastal plains, primarily for local consumption.[3] A 1998 report noted anecdotal data that cannabis was cultivated in Suriname, but that the amounts were unknown.[4][5]

During the 2005 Caribbean Week of Agriculture, the Surinamese Minister of Agriculture stated: We know that we have problems with fertile soil. We know that our food import bill is too high. So when we talk about marijuana, personally, for Suriname, I [do] not agree at this moment to [say] let our farmers start producing marijuana. What we are stimulating is produce food for our people.[6]

Smuggling

Suriname is noted as a key transshipment point for the smuggling of cannabis and cocaine to Europe.[7] The Brazilian town of Belem was noted as a particular contact point in the trade, given its proximity to Suriname and large Surinamese population.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Graeme R. Newman (19 October 2010). Crime and Punishment around the World [4 volumes]: [Four Volumes]. ABC-CLIO. pp. 1–. ISBN 978-0-313-35134-1.
  2. ↑ Rosemarijn Hoefte (1998). In Place of Slavery: A Social History of British Indian and Javanese Laborers in Suriname. University Press of Florida. pp. 160–. ISBN 978-0-8130-1625-2.
  3. ↑ Cannabis Eradication in Foreign Western Hemisphere Nations, Effects in the U.S.: Environmental Impact Statement. 1982. pp. 5–.
  4. ↑ International Narcotics Control Strategy Report. March 1998.
  5. ↑ Usa International Business Publications (3 March 2008). Suriname Mining Laws and Regulations Handbook. Int'l Business Publications. pp. 21–. ISBN 978-1-4330-7826-2.
  6. ↑ Name *. "Suriname wants focus on food security, not marijuana – Dominica News Online". Dominicanewsonline.com. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  7. ↑ Report of the International Narcotics Control Board (2007). DIANE Publishing. January 2009. pp. 72–. ISBN 978-1-4379-0280-8.
  8. ↑ Paul V. Daly (1 July 1996). The Supply of Illicit Drugs to the United States: The Nnicc Report. DIANE Publishing. pp. 58–. ISBN 978-0-7881-3942-0.

Further reading

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