Joseph Schooled for Cannabis Consumption

After being on cloud nine having won two gold medals and a bronze at the SEA Games in Hanoi this year, Singapore’s only Olympic medallist, Joseph Schooling, confessed to consuming cannabis overseas back in May.

He has been serving his mandatory full-time National Service (NS) with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and may be subjected to a sentence of up to nine months detention in the SAF Detention Barracks, according to the Ministry of Defence.

Meanwhile, he will be placed on a supervised urine test regime for six months. Fellow Singaporeans will not get to see their swimming legend in action as he has been stripped off his rights for leave or disruption to train or compete for the remainder of his stint in NS.

This controversy has riled up some Singaporeans, who feel that the government is too restrictive with the people’s personal lives given the imposition of Section 8A of the Misuse of Drugs Act criminalising the consumption of cannabis overseas even though it may be legalised in that country or state.

Following the repealment of Section 377A, will we see a similar fate with the prohibition of consumption of cannabis overseas where it is legal?