LEGALISE IT!

IT seems that nowadays our leaders, especially parliamentarians,
are really out of touch with the people they claim to represent.

This is reflected in the way parliamentarians pass ridiculous bills
such as the 20-year jail sentences in respect of livestock theft and
the Liquor Act.

Who do these laws really benefit? Lately, Safety and Security Minister
Peter Tsheehama has advocated, and the National Assembly passed, a new
controversial bill that will see drug consumers getting 20-year jail
sentence in an effort to reduce crime.

Well, it is a pity that 16 years after Independence, our lawmakers
like Minister Tsheehama are not aware that the roots of the high crime
rate lie in mass poverty and unemployment and not in banned substance
consumption.

I am hereby challenging Minister Tsheehama or any parliamentarian
supporting this bill to come up with a more justifiable argument than
high crime rate.

Anyway, my problem is that marijuana (Cannabis Sativa) is included in
the list of illegal drugs, according to "our" Roman and Dutch law.

How ironic, since the Dutch, creators of this law, have long ago
legalised the use of marijuana as a recreational drug.

Today hundreds of thousands of tourists are visiting Holland for that
reason.

I want to use this space to educate our lawmakers about
marijuana.

Let me start with the history of marijuana.

In ancient Egypt it was used to treat inflammations of the eye and to
cool the uterus.

The first records of marijuana use in India date back to 800 BC, where
it was recommended for congestion.

According to the 'Encyclopaedia of Herbal Medicine' (Andrew Chevalier,
FNIMH), marijuana also appears in Chinese medicinal literature.

In the 'Shen'nong Bencaojing', written in the first century AD, it was
described as a treatment for "female weakness, gout rheumatism,
malaria, beri-beri, constipation and absent-mindedness".

By the third century AD, the leaves were taken in an infusion or eaten
whole as an analgesic to relieve pain during surgery.

Famously, Queen Victoria took marijuana as an analgesic - in the 19th
century, the plant was a standard painkiller for menstrual pains and
cramps.

From 1840-1900, over 100 papers were published recommending marijuana
as a medicine.

Medicinal actions and uses: In view of its long history as a medicinal
treatment, it is hardly surprising that marijuana has, at one time or
another, been recommended for almost every illness.

As an analgesic, it relieves pain with minimal side effects, being
particularly helpful for AIDS and cancer patients undergoing
chemotherapy.

For those suffering from multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and other
muscular illness, marijuana can reduce neurological over-activity and
muscle spasm.

The plant provides effective treatment for glaucoma, in which the
internal eye pressure is abnormally high, and it lowers blood pressure.

Marijuana relieves asthma, menstrual pains, the pain of childbirth,
arthritis and rheumatism and may have value as an antidepressant.

It induces sleep.

The seeds are used in Chinese medicine as a strong but well-tolerated
laxative, especially for constipation in the elderly, and as dietary
supplement they provide polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Modern research shows marijuana to be a sedative, an anti-inflammatory
agent, and an analgesic as effective as codeine.

Research has focused on the constituent THC but it is clear the
complex of constituents within marijuana has a significantly wider
range of applications.

Clinical studies from 1975 onwards have shown that the cannabinoids
are powerfully anti-emetic, especially in those receiving
chemotherapy.

To varying degrees, clinical trials indicate that marijuana or its
cannabinoids relieve symptoms in multiple sclerosis (such as tremor,
muscle spasm and poor coordination), in spinal cord injuries,
epilepsy, glaucoma, chronic pain and loss of appetite.

So, with this letter, I am opening a nationwide debate on legalisation
of marijuana.

I am also asking the politicians in the parliament to be very
considerate on this matter because it is an infringement on our
cultural rights and true justice.

I am sure that many Namibians who don't abuse, but use marijuana for
creative purposes, feel the same about Minister Tsheehama's
suggestion.

Anon Windhoek