'Cannabis should be given the same treatment as alcohol and tobacco'

The Constitutional Court will on Tuesday be handing down judgment on the

question of whether or not to decriminalise cannabis use.

The Western Cape High Court last year made a landmark ruling, declaring that it is an infringement to ban the use of dagga by adults in their private homes.

However, leader of the Dagga Party, Gareth Prince says they will be challenging that High Court ruling that the cannabis laws as they currently stand violate equality laws.

He says the users of alcohol and tobacco are allowed to use these substances however they wish.

Prince says there is no truth in the misconceptions that cannabis is harmful.

These are all popular misconceptions and people should inform themselves with the truth. It is unfortunate that the whole debate around cannabis has been informed by conjecture and outright lies.

— Gareth Prince, leader of the Dagga Party

We need to separate the whole debate from all of the emotionalism that it has been involved in and apply reason in order to make this work for South Africa.

Prince argues that a democratic government has no right to decide for its citizens but citizens should rather be given space to make their own choices.

If a particular practice does not threaten others in the exercise of their rights, then that particular practice must be tolerated by others in such a democracy.