MARIJUANA REMEDY POPULAR IN EUROPE

THERE ARE some things you know about Barbados and the
Caribbean.

One is they possess some of the most scenic spots in the
world.

Next, the islands are always looking for export markets for their
exotic products, be it rum and condiments from Barbados, music from
Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, spices from Grenada, Antiguan
pineapples or handicraft from the Dominican Republic.

Thirdly, there is the love of tea.

Some people sip afternoon tea and Test cricketers from Antigua,
Grenada, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and other islands
stop at crucial points for a tea break, not to mention the refreshment
cart with its juices and other drinks.

There is also the fact that the Caribbean produces some of the most
potent ganja or marijuana. Possession of marijuana may be illegal in
the Caribbean, Britain, Europe and North America but in Jamaica and St
Vincent, for instance, the growing of cannabis fuels an underground
economy and gives some farmers an excellent cash crop, now that a
combination of the United States, Europe and the World Trade
Organisation pressure has virtually killed the region's banana industry.

When those factors are combined, the mix explains why the region may
find a good reason to welcome a new Swiss product called C-Ice.

C-Ice has a very critical ingredient -- cannabis, pot, ganja,
marijuana, whatever you call it -- is being marketed as a product that
offers health benefits.

Marijuana, which is prescribed by some doctors to ease the pain and
nausea caused by cancer and other serious illnesses, is a key
ingredient of C-Ice, which is now being sold in Europe and will soon
be available in Britain.

The drink contains marijuana, water, lemon juice flavouring, black tea
extract, ascorbic acid, sugar and sativa syrup. Its manufacturers and
agents assert it can boost the immune system as a result of the
vitamins, minerals, amino acid and omega oils found in ganja.
Interestingly, the makers have removed the psychoactive substance,
tetrahydrocannabinol, THC, found in the cannabis plant. They have done
so in order to get around the regulations in various countries where
use and possession of marijuana are a crime.

But British authorities didn't believe C-Ice, developed in 2003,
required regulatory approval and it will be sold to health food
enthusiasts there.