Decriminalization of the possession and cultivation of small quantities of marijuana for personal needs will make NGOs to protest for another year.
The Bulgarian Liberation Society is of the opinion that the law criminalizing the use of cannabis does not work because in the last 15 years the Bulgarians, who have tried marijuana, have grown five times. On the other hand, if the ban on the substance is removed, the dealers who sell it will disappear, said one of the organizers, Dimitar Karagegov.
The Freedom of Weed Procession will take place on Saturday at 3:30 pm, and for the start of the march, the Libertarians chose the “Sveta Nedelya” Square in Sofia.
“This is a traditional demonstration, with 15 years of history. Because for as many years, the total criminalization of possession, even of small quantities of illegal substances, is practiced, which means that if you find in your pocket a single cigarette with cannabis, you are prone to a prison of 1 to 3 years. This is the main reason for the demonstration, “said Dimitar Karagegov.
“The first major demand is to stop people being imprisoned because they have small amounts of cannabis within themselves. In those years in which we imposed this total criminalization, it failed to achieve either of the effects for which it was adopted in 2004. Then we had about 200,000 citizens of Bulgaria who have tried grass in their lives. Today, 13-14 years later, this figure exceeds 1 million. We have almost 20% of our population, which already knows the effects of the substance. So the measures that we have decided to accept as a society and the money we spend as taxpayers, the human lives that we destroy by imprisoning them, do not give any good results. So we have to think of something else, “he added, explaining:
“We offer – while we reach a really working solution, let’s at least stop putting these people in jail. A great deal of our problems are solved when these 1 million people stop being threatened of imprisonment. The second request of the protest is the decriminalization of grass growing in small quantities at home. Because in this way we stop the dealers who sell questionable substances, they disappear, “Dimitar Karagegov said.
Credit: novinite.com
