Where is the JFJ to defend his human rights ?

[Sir X]

WHERE ARE MY RIGHTS?
Ras Puddler pleads not guilty to ganja charges
BY HORACE HINES Observer West reporter DELVELAND, Westmoreland
Thursday, November 14, 2013
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THE Rastafarian man who was charged with breaches of the Dangerous Drugs Act after he was reported in the October 23 edition of the Jamaica Observer arguing against the legalisation of ganja, pleaded not guilty when he appeared in the Savanna-la-Mar Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
He is booked to reappear in court on April 29, 2014.
Hide DescriptionRas Puddler speaks to the Observer West at his home in Delveland, Westmoreland, yesterday. (PHOTO: PHILLIP LEMONTE)
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Forty-nine-year-old farmer, Audley Goffe, who goes by the moniker Ras Puddler, was charged with illegal possession of ganja, dealing in ganja and possession of a chillum pipe after he was arrested at his Delveland home in Westmoreland on the
23rd October.
According to the police, they went to the house of Ras Puddler, a Westmoreland ganja farmer, where they found a chillum pipe, three pounds of ganja and several ganja seedlings.
The raid was conducted on the same day that the Observer published an interview with the Rastafarian, who said he would prefer decriminalisation of marijuana because legalisation would result in large farmers forcing small planters out of business.
The Observer interview was conducted at the Peter Tosh Earthstrong Concert near Belmont in Westmoreland on Sunday October 20, where Ras Puddler openly smoked a chillum pipe in full view of police officers.
A number of foreign nationals were also at the event smoking in full view of the lawmen, without any hassle.
Ras Puddler's arrest angered several Jamaica online readers and some local politicians, many arguing that the police should instead go after "serious offenders."
North East St Elizabeth MP Raymond Pryce, in his reaction, questioned the arrest of the Westmoreland ganja farmer, saying the police action illustrated one of the reasons he recently moved a resolution in the House to decriminalise the weed.
"That a Jamaican could be arrested for what is clearly a personal choice made by an adult for doing something which, if we are honest, is an ordinary and widespread practice in Jamaica and increasingly so in other parts of the world, is astounding," Pryce reportedly said.
Yesterday, during an exclusive interview with the Observer West, Ras Puddler, who is represented by prominent Rastafarian attorney Miguel Lorne — who is off the island — noted that his arrest has resulted in "serious economic and other woes."
One of the problems facing the Rastaman is that he has lost his stock of "herb" which he uses as a sacrament, as a part of his religion.
"As a Rastafarian I wonder where my rights are. I want that right. Herb is my food. Everything gone down. If me want a little draw of ganja now me have to go and buy it, and that won't be as good as mine," Ras Puddler rued.
"Every day is discrimination of the Rasta. Nobody don't business with Rasta. The Rastaman have to look about himself, plant him little food and him little herbs. The baldhead man have to live, and the Rastaman have to live so why the Rastaman have to go under so much pressure?"
He also lamented that depending on the outcome of the case, his ambition to travel may be dashed as he was fingerprinted on Tuesday.
"Me is a little poor, sufferer youth who get a little chance now fi go Europe because me woman is there. So right now if me can't fly me inna big problem," said Ras Puddler.
"A just Jamaica in general going backward, because I went to Holland and I go in the coffee shop and I buy my little weed and I smoke there, and I don't have a problem. So I think the Jamaican country backward, look how we a suffer, we should sell some herbs and make the country go forward."
But despite his economic and legal plight, Ras Puddler, who is an ardent fan of the late Reggae icon Peter Tosh- who consistently agitated for the legalisation of marijuana- has vowed to soldier on for the decriminalisation of
the weed.
"Is decriminalise me deh pon. Police come in me house take away me chalice (chillum pipe), take away me little draw. I am a Rastaman, so the Government should step in because poor people under too much pressure," he argued.
"The little herbs me plant is just for my spiritual use. Me don't have no big deal. I don't have a dealership in foreign. Sometime if I am here, a man who want a good draw check me, so why dem a fight against me?"


Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/weste...#ixzz2kcOy1ZEe

[Sir X]

Seiveright says US guidelines could provide roadmap for ganja decriminalisation
Thursday, November 14, 2013
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GUIDELINES provided by the United States federal Department of Justice to the states of Washington and Colorado could provide a roadmap for how Jamaica and other nations can adopt similar policies without risking the wrath of the US government, says Director for the Ganja Law Reform Coalition Delano Seiveright.
Seiveright noted that there is, "...unprecedented praise for the Obama administration, which had proven such a disappointment on drug policy issues during the president's first term but which is at last demonstrating some leadership, with respect to both cannabis policy and the need to reduce America's record breaking rates of incarceration".
Hide DescriptionSEIVERIGHT... there are opportunities for substantial revenue intake from ganja law reform
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"This is of particular significance for Jamaica and other island nations in the Caribbean, considering reform of their ganja policies, who for so long assumed that no change was possible given the US drug war," said Seiveright, who recently returned home from the Biennial International Drug Policy Conference put on by the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) in Denver, Colorado.
Seiveright said that with the international ganja law reform movement picking up momentum, not only in the United States, Europe and Uruguay, but throughout the globe, Jamaica was at a high risk of falling further behind, if it doesn't move to decriminalisation, sooner rather than later.
"We have, in fact, arrived at a tipping point for ganja law reform, with nearly half the states in the United States of America having exemptions for medical cannabis use in addition to decriminalised non-medical cannabis use; noteworthy is that two states, Colorado and Washington legally allow the sale and possession of ganja for both medical and non-medical use," he said.
"There are opportunities for substantial revenue intake from ganja law reform. In all it gives the government leeway to tax, regulate, control and educate about it. The Jamaican government and many of our people would do pretty well, especially from a tourism angle, if we decriminalise. Beyond that, we cannot ignore first and foremost the human rights component as too many people, especially the poor, in Jamaica have suffered at the hands of harsh laws," Seiveright added.
He pointed out that DPA Executive Director Dr Ethan Nadelmann, who visited Jamaica recently, noted that days before the Colorado conference a new Gallup poll found that 58 per cent of Americans are in favour of legally regulating cannabis, like alcohol. That represented a dramatic 10 per cent increase over the previous year's figures.
Answering questions recently in the Senate from Opposition Senator Robert Montague on the Government's position on decriminalisation, Minister of Justice Mark Golding said that his ministry is positioning itself to seek approval from Cabinet for the decriminalisation of ganja.
Golding said the revised law would permit the possession of small amounts of ganja, about two ounces, for recreational use.
However, he noted that the Attorney General's Department has provided a legal opinion, indicating that Jamaica would have to advance constitutional justification to its international partners for the decriminalisation of marijuana.
Golding explained that Jamaica is a party to at least two international treaties criminalising certain forms of conduct, such as the production, cultivation, sale, and distribution of any narcotic drug or substance.
Jamaica is a party to the United Nations Single Convention of 1961, which requires parties to limit exclusively to medical and scientific purposes, the production, manufacture, export, import, distribution of, trade in, use and possession of drugs.
Last month, the House of Representatives passed a private member's motion calling for the decriminalisation of ganja, following weeks of rigorous debate that saw members on the Government side split on the issue.
North East St Elizabeth Member of Parliament Raymond Pryce moved the motion suggesting that decriminalisation of marijuana was a human-rights issue.


Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz2kcPERhkP

[Sir X]

Where is Jawge and Historian to hide behind colonial perceptions? Lock dem up and gi dem 6 months and fine dem a 100 Jamaican dollars...lol....its being done already at what cost ? Literally what cost?


Kissteeth......Madness.

[Mosiah]

Forty-nine-year-old farmer, Audley Goffe...

I know!

Wuss like how the man could be Susan Goffe family!

[Mosiah]

At least Seiveright doing something useful for a change.

[Jawge]

X please don't take advantage of the fact that I'm busy and can't really defend myself Ok. Id din't say any such thing. Ah deal wid yuh when mi tek care of other business

[Muadib]

Yuh think JFJ have nutting doing ?

[HL]

Very silly arrest.

[Gamma]

it was the culmination of "intelligence work" ...