Cannabis in Kiribati is illegal with severe punishments for the production, sale, and possession of marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes.[1][2] A 2011 survey of young people, found that 6.8% of males and 1.6% of females had ever used cannabis.[3]

Kiribati, like other island nations in the West Pacific is utilized as a staging point in the illicit drug trade, between Southeast Asia and Australia.[4] Fishermen turned to drug trafficking and gun running via organized crime due to overfishing decreasing the value of fish so low that their previous lifestyles were unsustainable. Kiribati's huge exclusive economic zone is too large to be patrolled effectively by the Kiribati Police Service.[5] In December 2019, a 3kg package of marijuana, along with 1.5kg of cocaine, was found in the Line Islands.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Legal status of cannabis in Kiribati - Cannaconnection.com". www.cannaconnection.com. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
  2. ↑ "Dangerous Drugs Ordinance". www.paclii.org. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
  3. ↑ Howard, John; Ali, Hammad (2014). "Cannabis use among young people in Pacific Island Countries and Territories". Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. 38 (1): 89–90. doi:10.1111/1753-6405.12136. ISSN 1753-6405. PMID 24494955.
  4. ↑ Cranston, Frank. "Tourism Flaws Jewels of the Pacific" (PDF). Retrieved 2020-04-28.
  5. ↑ McVeigh, Karen (2018-10-16). "Drug trafficking at sea is devastating island states, ministers say". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
  6. ↑ Pacific, Loop (2019-12-19). "Kiribati police find cocaine and marijuana packages". Loop PNG. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
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