The rising use of medicinal cannabis in Jersey has prompted the island’s Constables to call for specified drug limits to be included in upcoming maritime safety legislation.
The Comité des Connétables made the comments as part of a submission to the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel, which is currently reviewing proposed amendments to Jersey’s harbour and shipping laws.
The changes, which aim to target “areas of deficiency” in Jersey’s maritime legislation, were put forward by Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel – who has political responsibility for air and sea transport policy – earlier this year.
If passed, a new offence of causing death or serious injury through careless operation of a vessel will be introduced.
The new law would also allow alcohol and drug testing following a maritime incident, and being intoxicated could be considered an aggravating factor in charges of dangerous operation of a ship.
But the Comité des Connétables questioned why the proposed regulations specify a prescribed limit on the use of alcohol but not in relation to the usage of drugs.
“The panel may be aware of the increased use of medicinal cannabis in Jersey and the proposed changes may therefore benefit from capturing a prescribed limit on the use recreational drugs by a person whilst operating a ship,” the Comité said.
The submission comes after it emerged that 6% of Jersey’s working population are prescribed medicinal cannabis – a figure significantly higher than England’s 0.05%.
The letter also points to how there are no cannabis concentration limits for driving a vehicle, unlike how Jersey law prescribes a limit for the concentration of alcohol in the breath, blood or urine of a driver.
Comité chair Michael Jackson wrote: “An increasing number of persons are now taking prescribed medicinal cannabis and the effects could still be present in a person the following day thus affecting their fitness to drive.”
But he added that he understands that proposals regarding this are now being considered.
The Constables also warned that it’s unclear how the new rules would be enforced, raising concerns about overstretching already limited resources – particularly the Honorary Police – and noting that no extra staffing or funding has been outlined.
They added that a promised enforcement plan from Ports of Jersey has yet to appear.