NATIONAL Security Minister, says amendments to the Dangerous Drugs Act, resulting in decriminalisation of specified quantities of ganja, are "most fundamental and far-reaching".

Bunting underscored this point while addressing a community meeting in Orange Hill, Western Westmoreland on May 8, to discuss the provisions of the new ganja legislation.

He noted that for "decades", the possession of small quantities of ganja has caused "friction" between the police and residents.

"Communities saw young men who they did not regard as criminals being arrested, fined, and sometimes sentenced for possession of ganja. It gave them criminal records ... eventually limiting their life chances," he noted.

The minister said, against this background, the current Administration took the decision to decriminalise possession of small quantities of ganja, while initiating a licensing regime for medical and medicinal research.

"Since about September last year, when those new guidelines [were initiated], we have had over 1,000 fewer...