DECRIMINALISE 'THE WEED'

The weed'- marijuana, ganja, herb, scientifically, 'Cannabus Sativa'
has been a debatable topic for years.

In Jamaica, it is a criminal offence to be found in possession of
ganja. That's the law, but why is it so?

People in the society need to be educated about the negative effects
of the herb, but also the positive attributes. This is not so in most
cases, as information sources worldwide have excelled in perfecting
and polishing the negatives but have failed miserably to highlight the
many positives.

One reason why ganja should be decriminalised is because it is a part
of the Rastafarian religious ritual. Jamaica claims to have an
environment that hosts free worship. However, why is it that
Rastafarians cannot travel with their 'draw of weed'? Rastafarians use
ganja to aid in meditation and should be given the right to carry on
their practices without fear.

Drs Lockhart and West developed Canasol, which is used to treat
glaucoma. It was developed by using marijuana. Following the
development of Canasol its usage despite its marijuana base was made
legal. Nothing wrong with that! But others use 'the weed' for
medicinal purposes yet they are subject to the full weight of the law.

Take for example the case of an ordinary man who uses marijuana to
heal ailments such as stomachache, nausea and pre-menstrual syndrome
(period pain). Everyone in Jamaica, from the little children to
grown-up knows that many Jamaicans keep a bottle with ganja mixed with
various other ingredients, white rum, for example, to use when a
member of the family comes down with an ailment especially cold or
flu. The use of marijuana in instances like these is still considered
illegal and it should not be so.

Let's look at our laws pertaining to marijuana and decriminalise those
sections that are old and outdated.