Palau : Where it is illegal but tolerated
By Bernadet t e Carreon
Koror ( Pacific Not e )? ? It ? s relaxing ,? Jack ( not his real name ) says , puffing weed in his porch . The odor of marijuana smoke wafts in the neighborhood , but no one frowns . The neighbors seem used to it .
? No , it ? s not addictive . I can go on for days , even months , without smoking and I don ? t get any withdrawal symptoms ,? Jack says .
A longtime pot smoker , Jack says this recreation doesn ? t exactly hurt his pocket . ? You can a stick of for $ 5 .?
Anyone who smokes pot in Palau knows where to go to get high . Marijuana remains illegal in Palau , but it does not exactly take a detective to find its distinct odor around Koror .
? There are probably more crimes related to alcohol consumption than marijuana smoking ,? Jack says .
Under Palau law , marijuana is classified as Substance I drug . Trafficking of this substance is punishable by maximum of eight years in prison , a fine of not more than $ 5,000 , or both ( unless it less than an ounce and if the substance is just given away , then it is punished like possession . Any person found in possession of 2oz is fined $ 500 for first offenses , and $ 1,000 for second offense .
The United Nations ' 2012 World Drugs Report ranked Palau as the world ? s top cannabis user . Local officials , however , dismissed the report as inaccurate , claiming it was based on a survey conducted only among high school students and extrapolated to misrepresent the adult population .
However , it is not inaccurate to say that marijuana smoking is socially acceptable to a
certain degree in Palau . It ? s an open secret that buying weed is ridiculously easy .
There are no indications that recreational pot is likely to be decriminalized anytime soon , but local lawmakers are cognizant of marijuana ? s medicinal properties . In 2015 , Delegates Masasinge Arurang and Lucio Ngiraiwet introduced the Medical Marijuana Act , which sought to legalize marijuana for medical purposes , specifically for treatment of debilitating conditions . They cited the need for free and unburdened communication between doctors and their patients , and to open discussion on possible risks and benefits of medical marijuana .
The 9th Palau Congress ? Health Committee conducted a public hearing on the bill and filed it for first reading . But it was shelved at the House of Delegates and never made it to the Senate .
Police Director Ismael Aguon said he has no problems with marijuana for medical use , but legalizing it for recreational use is another story . It can raise a lot of questions , he said . ? Are policemen , firemen , doctors , pilots , school bus drivers , taxi drivers , heavy equipment operators going be allowed to use recreational marijuana ? Has there been a determination when or when can we say a person is not under the influence as
However , it is not inaccurate to say that marijuana smoking is socially acceptable to a certain degree in Palau . It ? s an open secret that buying weed is ridiculously easy .
compared to the blood alcohol content of a person intoxicated with liquor ? How do you know or what is the period after smoking can you say a person is no longer high on marijuana ??
Asked why it is easy to purchase marijuana in Palau despite its prohibition , he said , ? tolerance , acceptance versus law enforcement .?
Then there is the issue of prioritizing resources . ? The sense that I get from the people is law enforcement should spend more time and resources investigating serious crimes and hard drugs rather than marijuana which is seen as a less serious matter and crime ,? Aguon said .
He also observed that the legalize-marijuana movement in Palau is fired up by the trend in Guam and the rest of the United States . Palauans have been more accepting of planned policy reforms on marijuana .
But not everyone is on board . In a recent Women ? s Conference , a group of traditional women introduced a resolution opposing the legalization of marijuana for medical or recreational purposes .
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