My Closing Thoughts

[Historian]

This is just amazing!!

I’m sitting here at my computer and gaping with amazement as I look at the combined number of “hits” on the subject of Marijuana! Two posts were made on marijuana yesterday, and in less than seven hours we had a combined total of 410 hits!! Between 9:51 a.m., when the first post was made, and 4:44 p.m. when the final comment was made (less than seven hours) a total of 93 posts were made (including the thread starters)!!

I could be wrong, but this looks like an all-time record for the “non-soccer” forums!

There is a sobering thought here though, and it is this: If, as I presume, this forum represents a microcosm of Jamaican society in a very limited sense (limited in that the views of women, children and teens are not represented here), then what does this obsession with cannabis by Jamaican males suggest?

What I mean is that there have been countless instances where posts on substantial topics - that is, topics that touch on crucial aspects of social, political and economic life in Jamaica – have been made, and the responses have been lukewarm and sparse, to put it mildly. If this forum is indeed a microcosm of educated male thinking in Jamaica, then there is much, much cause for concern (based on the number of affirmative responses to the marijuana posts)!

I’ll close my brief comments here by recalling a statement that was made twenty years ago, and which to this day I’ve never forgotten. It was the year 1989 and I was watching a television program (I can easily remember the year because I was in the eastern Caribbean then on a job-related matter). A native of either Montserrat or Anguilla (I cannot remember which of these two islands the man was from) was being interviewed. At one point in the discussion program the man was asked a question relating to independence. He thought for a few seconds, then looked at the interviewer and stated bluntly that, having travelled throughout Jamaica and seen the results of independence, he was no longer eager for his native country to gain its independence.

What I’ve just related is true, and after twenty years I have not forgotten that man’s response!

[Bricktop]

Smaddy gimme the cliff notes version of this drivel please. Thanks

[Peter R]

Historian, you don't have to respond as this is your "closing" statement on the matter. I respect your opinion and your posts, but you do come across as a little naive with respect to the extent that ganja plays in the life of Jamaica.

One of the first things that was said to me when I moved into the dorm at York University my first year in Canada (1975) was a yute saying "ganja, mon". I had never smoked before in my life but it was a stereotype that I did not appreciate, however, I already had some realisation of how prevalent the use of weed in Jamaica is. Just one small example; When I was a teen, my grandmother in the country, wasn't feeling well...a day's worker gave her a bag of "herb" and told her to make tea with it for the flu. It was a (small) bag of ganja. Now, the lady who gave it to her did not smoke and i would never have associated her with ganja use; the point is that ganja is used in Jamaica not just by rastas but by ordinary people for medicinal purposes.

Anyway, the response you see here is a reflection of ganja use and also attitude to it because of the prevalence of its presence in everyday lives. It is not dissimilar to the use of coca among native South Americans.

Now I do believe it is hypocritical to cry down ganja and ignore tobacco and alcohol. Historically, these latter drugs have been the recognized and legal drugs of choice for centuries. When they tried to ban alcohol in the 30s it only created an underground economy and suddenly a bag o man became "criminals". In a sense this is what we have with ganja. To me it would make more sense to legalise it, in the way Amsterdam has, and to regulate its usage, with similar penalties like DUIs attract for similar infractions. I do not believe that legalising it will inveigle significantly more folks to use it than already do. Just my opinion there. If that is true then the increase in negative effects on health would be neutral as I do not see all of a sudden man rushing to start smoke because of legalisation.

On the economic level, I do not know that any benefit will accrue to the small grower. He/she will simply be freer to peddle his product without the police harrassing him/her. Man with money will dominate the market in the same way mega-farms dominate the markets in anything they produce. Legalising ganja could quite likely bring less revenue to its producers... more production, more competition, lower prices. If the legalisation were global Jamaica could have some competitive advantage because of the image it has, but home-grown (in North America) will likely dent the export business. Branding will probably create a niche for conoisseurs of fine ganja. Anyway, the police would then be freed up to pursue real "criminals"; murderers, robbers, rapists etc. The crime rate could conceivably go down as the criminal and underworld activity associated with the illegal trade should disappear.

Anyway, I consider myself an educated person, I do NOT smoke and I'm still trying to get my wife to stop cigarettes.

So in conclusion, I actually do see more benefit to controlled and regulated legalisation. The dangers of THC are there who want to hear about it. Legalisation will probably make it easier to educate the masses about the dangers of ganja than now obtains. Truth is if tobacco and alcohol were first time drugs being introduced today they would probably have a difficult time getting approval because of how dangerous they are. However, to repeat a point, prohibition does NOT eradicate of diminish usage, IMO. Maybe it's time to take a bold step forward where ganja is concerned. At any rate, thankfully my drugs of choice, rum, beer, wine and spirits can be had legally.. in the meantime, all you weedheads, especially in USA, unuh watch unuh back.

[Don1]

If this forum is indeed a microcosm of educated male thinking in Jamaica,

Whatever gave you that idea?

having travelled throughout Jamaica and seen the results of independence, he was no longer eager for his native country to gain its independence.

That's ironic. Especially since when that island of Montserrant was swimming in volcanic ash and partially evacuated... Jamaica hosted a healthy percentage of their population.

Maybe that guy was one such refugee.

[Historian]

LOL

If this forum is indeed a microcosm of educated male thinking in Jamaica

Whatever gave you that idea?

Wow!! That’s a low blow, boss! (LMAO)

That's ironic. Especially since when that island of Montserrant was swimming in volcanic ash and partially evacuated... Jamaica hosted a healthy percentage of their population.

Maybe that guy was one such refugee.

I agree with your view on the irony of a native from Montserrat regarding Jamaica in a negative way. By the way, I haven’t checked the date, but I think that volcanic eruption happened a few years after 1989.

I mentioned that Montserrat native’s sordid comment in my post yesterday simply to highlight my view that there are many issues of much greater importance to Jamaica’s development than this matter of marijuana, despite the widespread local and foreign popularity of the weed.

[Historian]

Very Good Post

Historian, you don't have to respond as this is your "closing" statement on the matter. I respect your opinion and your posts, but you do come across as a little naive with respect to the extent that ganja plays in the life of Jamaica.

Anyway, the response you see here is a reflection of ganja use and also attitude to it because of the prevalence of its presence in everyday lives. It is not dissimilar to the use of coca among native South Americans.

Although I do not agree with everything you’ve stated in your post, Peter R, this is nevertheless a well-reasoned, very good post you’ve made, and I actually enjoyed reading it!

You said I don’t have to respond, but you took the time to post a detailed, well thought out discussion, and so out of respect for that I’m going to make one final response. I won’t make anymore responses because I honestly find the topic of ganja extremely boring (in my everyday life I would never ever discuss this topic with anyone!!), and secondly, there’s no point in discussing it as no Jamaican government is going to legalize marijuana use in the foreseeable future! The regional and international repercussions on a fragile, developing economy such as Jamaica would be much too great to risk effecting such legislation!

But looking at your post, I fear that, despite our best intentions, the seemingly good proposals you suggest are quite likely not going to work in a Jamaican context. Just to give an example, you mentioned that all we have to do after legalizing cannabis is to “regulate its usage.” In the context of a country where virtually nothing (street side vendors and other informal business people, illegal taxis, hustler-free tourist areas, etc.) can ever seem to be regulated, do you realistically think that, with the opening of the marijuana floodgates, the authorities will be able to regulate anything to do with “free weed”?!

And Lazie’s excellent comment in another thread about “so many weedheads pon the corners” should not be ignored!! (See Lazie’s responses, for example Post#2 under the thread, “Historian the Musicologist….”).

Also, I notice that in the comments about economic benefits, nobody took the time to ponder the fact that Jamaica is indeed a signatory to several multilateral agreements on marijuana and other drugs! Despite the feeling of some that Jamaica is invincible, that is merely in ones mind, and one does not go around breaking unilateral and multilateral agreements on a whim (unless, of course, one is a super power like the USA or has the hardware to back it up, like North Korea)!

[Sir X]

Why do you say that nobody took time to look at whatever international agreements etc.This argument for the legalisation of ganja is projected from the seat of academia from various Jamaican instituitions.

2nd do you think we do a good job now of regulating ganja in its ilegal state by criminalising it ?

The argument is about the alternative because we have done what you have advocated for the past how much years and its gaining pace as a poster said for legalisation ( resistance is futile).

Fact is it will be legalised in a US state in the next 10 years , then you tell me who can talk to jamaica when we do it ? isnt the USA part of whatever signatuary to whatever convention etc ?

Our fact is we have to wait until the master does it before we move.Canada might do it before the USA.

[Sir X]

Ganja is pivotal to Jamaicas development for the simple truth it criminalizes anyone that comes into contact with it.

To ignore it is ridiculous , it plays a major part in our economy like it or not.

Ignore it at our peril.

[Karl]

Ever si di ganga soaked and stored in ova proof trow pan watah? Waan whitish sin-ting it tun...but iffen you belly start hat yuh dat a di ting fi quick-quick relief!

[Gamma]

karl...suh yuh is ganja user...

[Karl]

karl...suh yuh is ganja user...

medicine, mi lud! medicine!

[Gamma]

matters not ......all i have on my mind ....is a conviction or a fine!