Minister backs marijuana – so long as it’s in the beef redang
JAKARTA – While three young Australians were this week appealing to be spared the death penalty after being convicted of drug smuggling in Bali, Indonesia’s vice president, Jusuf Kalla, was telling reporters that it was okay to use marijuana – but only for food seasoning.
“There is no way (we can legalise marijuana). It’s alright to use it as a food seasoning, but it should not be fully legalised,” Kalla told reporters at the commemoration of International Anti-Drug Day in Sukabumi, West Java.
The Jakarta Post said Kalla was responding to a study by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the Indonesian National Institute on Drug Abuse, which is considering the legalisation of marijuana.
Tomi Harjatno, a drug expert from BNN, said Indonesia should follow the example of countries such as the Netherlands, which has legalised the use of marijuana for recreational purposes.
Ominously for the Australian drug runners on Death Row in Bali, Kalla said the application of capital punishment is the most effective way to curtail drugs in the country.
The death sentence, Kalla said, is a necessary deterrent to curb drug rings, which have penetrated the fabric of society.
National Police chief Gen. Sutanto said the death sentence for drug dealers has already been applied in a number of Southeast Asian countries, such as Singapore and Malaysia.
“If we don’t apply capital punishment for drug dealers, there is a good chance Indonesia will become a safe haven for them in Southeast Asia,” he said.
Ian Jarrett
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