DECRIMINALISE IT, SAYS GANJA COMMISSION

AFTER months of public and private hearings across the island, the National
Ganja Commission has recommended the decriminalisation of ganja for
personal, private use by adults and for use as a sacrament for religious
purposes.

At the same time, the commission has recommended that the state should
begin an intensive education programme to reduce the demand for the drug,
particularly among young people; that the security forces increase their
efforts of interdiction of large-scale cultivation of ganja and trafficking
of all illegal drugs; and that the country, as a matter of urgency, should
seek diplomatic support for its position and to influence the international
community to re-examine the status of cannabis.

The recommendation is, however, likely to be controversial, both locally
and internationally and will no doubt grab the attention of the United
States government which, through its Kingston embassy, has made it clear
that it opposes the decriminalisation of the drug. National security and
justice minister, K D Knight has also repeatedly opposed decriminalisation
of the herb, but the recommendation is likely to be welcomed by the
Rastafarian community which uses the weed as a religious sacrament and has
repeatedly called for its legalisation.

Prime Minister P J Patterson set up the commission last November,
instructing it to hear testimony, review the literature and evaluate the
research, and then indicate what changes, if any, should be made to the
country's laws in relation to ganja use. It was also mandated to recommend
any diplomatic initiatives, security considerations and educational
processes that should be undertaken along with any proposed changes.

The commission was headed by dean of the faculty of social sciences at the
University of the West Indies, Professor Barry Chevannes. Other members
were Rev Dr Webster Edwards; Anthony Freckleton, a publisher; attorney,
Norma Linton Q C; DiMario McDowell, a graphic artist; Dr Aileen
Standard-Goldson, the chairman of the National Council on Drug Abuse; and
Barbara Smith, an educator.

The commission, whose ruling was made public yesterday, has also
recommended that Jamaica set up a cannabis research agency in collaboration
with other countries to conduct research into all aspects of cannabis,
including its epidemiological and psychological effects, and its
pharmacological and economic potential as is being done by other countries.

According to the commission's report, such research was being done by
countries including some which are most vigorous in the suppression of the
use of ganja.

If the recommendations of the commission are to be accepted by the
government, the Dangerous Drugs Act will have to be amended, which the
commission has also recommended.

The report of the commission also acknowledged the health dangers of
smoking the weed, but said after reviewing the most up-to-date body of
medical and scientific research, it was of the view that whatever health
hazards the substance posed to individuals did not warrant the
criminalisation of thousands of Jamaicans for using it in ways and with
beliefs that are deeply rooted in the culture of the people.

The commission said it came to this position after interviewing 400 persons
from "all walks of life", including professionals and influential leaders
of the society.

"The overwhelming majority share the view that ganja should be criminalised
for personal, private use," the report said. "The prosecution of simple
possession for personal use itself, diverts the justice system from what
ought to be a primary goal, namely the suppression of the criminal
trafficking in substances, such as crack/cocaine, that are ravaging urban
and rural communities with addiction and corrupting otherwise productive
people," the report said.

In the meanwhile, it said after careful consideration of the legal issues
involved, it concluded that decriminalisation would in no way breach the
United Nations Drug Conventions which have been ratified by Jamaica. This
was especially so, it said, when arguments of human rights, including the
proposed charter of rights being discussed by Parliament, are taken into
account.