3. A person shall be considered a drug trafficker if the market value of the drugs which are the subject of the offence exceeds one million rupees or a prescribed value. Drug use on the island is not a new phenomenon, Anzalnah reveals. After the abolition of slavery in 1834, Mauritius, then a British colony, experienced an influx of contract workers from India bringing cannabis to the island. During the same period, Chinese immigrants brought opium to the island. These drugs were mainly used for traditional purposes and were not of great importance to the public. As drug trafficking increased, local social centres noted a considerable increase in the number of children and adolescents who were addicted to drugs. Drug addiction in Mauritius has led to the spread of prostitution, robbery and armed attacks. The most absurd argument why marijuana should become legal is that it is natural and was brought to earth by God. Some people think this is a good reason why it`s good and should be legal. Toxins and chemicals are naturally present on Earth, should we roll them and smoke them? Why shouldn`t marijuana be legalized? ” she asks. But we must legalize! If we don`t want the country to be invaded by the drug mafia like some Caribbean islands, addiction and psychosis should be a minor issue for medical cannabis, as cannabis plant strains are typically bred with high CBD and low THC content.

CBD, it is believed, counteracts the psychotic effects of THC. There is no evidence that medical cannabis increases the rate of traffic accidents or is a gateway to other harmful drugs. The economy was mainly based on the production of sugar cane and a few other agricultural products. Over time, there has been an increase in population and an improvement in the economy, while communication with the outside world has also developed, whether by air or sea. Internally, the road network has been improved and extended to the whole island. At that time, the only drugs, cannabis and opium, affected a very limited part of the population and the negative effects were largely unknown. They fear that the legalization of cannabis will lead people to use it and even try harder drugs. They fear that cannabis use in the workplace will be very difficult to control, which will affect labour productivity. The issue of driving under the influence of drugs has also been raised, with more and more drivers driving under the influence of cannabis in the absence of proper controls and tests, increasing the risk of road accidents, which have already reached unprecedented levels in Mauritius. At a meeting on 4 February 2016 with the Commission of Inquiry on Drug Trafficking (CIDT), the president of the Movement for the Legalization of Cannabis and Information (CLAIM) Fleuriot called for the relegalization of cannabis to counter the spread of hard and synthetic drugs.

He postulated that if a user finds cannabis, they will not look for heroin, opium or synthetics. 4. SUBUTEXTThe drug with buprenorphine as a basic ingredient is used as a substitute for the treatment of opium addicts. It was smuggled into the country until the end of 1999 and its abuse by drug addicts resulted in several deaths. Fortunately, an aggressive campaign of repression and awareness has put an end to their use. It continued to be classified as a dangerous drug. We must ask ourselves a few questions: why do synthetic drugs multiply in Mauritius with such comfort? Why is it so easy on the supply side? Why are prices so low? How on earth are these drugs accessible to children between the ages of 14 and 18? What will happen in 2 to 3 years? And more importantly, what can be done to protect our society and reduce the harmful effects of these drugs on our youth? After the post-election campaign, we decided to find out what was happening in other parts of the island. Not surprisingly, we have encountered the same phenomenon in other ridings. The problem of synthetic drugs is clearly widespread throughout the country, in cities and villages alike! We observed with great disbelief that, on average, at least two out of five teenagers aged 15 to 25 used various synthetic drugs, which is equivalent to 40% of our teenagers! According to police sources, about 45% of arrests for drug-related offenses are related to synthetic drugs! 1. GANDIA (CANNABIS)Gandia – “mass” in local jargon is one of the products (leaves) of Cannabis Sativa L, commonly known as the hemp plant – other products include hashish and hash oil. In Mauritius, gandia is the only illegal drug grown illegally in mountains, forests and sugar cane fields. Only the leaves are consumed by smoking when dry, as the amount of plants grown is too small to produce hashish and hash oil on site.

Gandia consumers come from all walks of life and the problem exists all over the island. So far, the government and other political parties have turned a blind eye to what is really happening on the ground. If this spread continues, an entire generation will be affected in 2 to 3 years. With the low prices at which drugs are sold, they are easily accessible to young people and students who have limited resources.