cannabisnews.com: Panel Urges Legalization of Marijuana in Jamaica





Panel Urges Legalization of Marijuana in Jamaica
Posted by FoM on September 29, 2001 at 21:06:12 PT
By David Gonzalez
Source: New York Times
Along Luke Lane, a narrow, cluttered side street nestled in one of West Kingston's busy markets, the smell from glistening heaps of red snapper quickly gives way to another more pungent aroma. On barrels, footstools and tables lie piles of thick, bushy buds of marijuana, eagerly trumpeted by vendors who puff away all day. "People have nothing, so they plant ganja," said one young man, who declined to give his name but whose family grows marijuana in the countryside and sells it here for as little as $2 for a stem with a few thick buds. 
"If the police come by and mash it up, they will plant again the next day. And if the police come and take the herb here, we'll be out selling again the next day."For all that it is widely used in public here, marijuana is also illegal, with possession — once punished with a mandatory sentence of 18 months at hard labor — still subject to a stiff fine.Now, apparently in an effort to reconcile the law with reality, a government commission has recommended that Jamaica decriminalize marijuana for personal use while continuing bans on cultivation and trafficking. "The current law is unenforceable because ganja cannot be suppressed because it is too entrenched," said Barry Chevannes, the dean of social sciences at the University of the West Indies, who headed the commission.American officials, local clergy and the police have objected, but Prime Minister P. J. Patterson has said he finds some of the commission's recommendations "persuasive." International groups for drug law reform said the proposal reflected a growing trend in Europe and Canada toward easing drug laws.United States diplomats and law enforcement officials have warned that decriminalization might violate international antidrug treaties and could result in Jamaica's being denied American foreign aid if it was deemed uncooperative in the war on drugs.Fear of losing certification, and American aid, has worried local officials and the law enforcement authorities who oppose decriminalization.Mr. Chevannes noted that the panel supported increasing public education efforts to discourage smoking among youths, did not recommend public smoking, and supported stiffer criminal penalties for large-scale cultivation and trafficking.He said penalizing the widely accepted use of marijuana — some 6,000 people a year are charged with marijuana offenses — helped to bring the law itself into disrepute in Jamaica. Increased crime and warring drug gangs have left the public dazed by violence and murder, and distrustful of a police force that Jamaicans say regularly resorts to deadly force.But at least a fifth of the population of some 2.7 million smoke it for relaxation, religion or relief from illness, the report says. Rastafarians consider it a sacrament, and have long resisted any attempt to ban the herb. A potent medicinal infusion is made by stuffing buds into a bottle of white rum and burying it for nine days. Mothers brew ganja tea to give a teaspoonful to newborns to ward off illness and evil spirits."People believe it is a panacea that can cure many things," Mr. Chevannes said. "With beliefs like that, it becomes virtually impossible to suppress." Other Jamaicans believe that there are more pressing problems — urban violence and trafficking in cocaine from Colombia, for instance."We have other issues that are much more critical to be spending time on than that," said Wendell Smith, the managing director of a computer company. "Anyway, it seems to be legal now. At the beach or concerts, the smell is most noticeable."Previous attempts to decriminalize marijuana have stalled, partly out of fear of backlash.The Rev. Devon Brown, a Pentecostal minister, is one opponent. His brother was a promising student in a good college, "but back in the 70's he became involved with the Rastas and began smoking ganja," he said. "Thirty years later, he still hasn't recovered from that." "It is not a positive part of our culture," Mr. Brown said. "It brings our values down."The commission's report has yet to be acted on by Parliament, and the prime minister, who faces elections by the end of next year, may decide to delay any move for fear of political backlash. Some leaders of his People's National Party said they would favor a national referendum, rather than a parliamentary vote, on the issue."A political party must take a stand," said Paul Burke, the party chairman for Kingston and a longtime advocate of marijuana legalization. The report, he said, "just sidesteps the issue." Source: New York Times (NY)Author: David GonzalezPublished: September 30, 2001 Copyright: 2001 The New York Times CompanyContact: letters nytimes.comWebsite: http://www.nytimes.com/Forum: http://forums.nytimes.com/comment/Related Articles:Forbidden Herb - Is Ganja Bad For Your Health? http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10816.shtmlAnti-Ganja Laws Archaic, Says Doctorhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10815.shtmlDecriminalise it, Says Ganja Commission http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10627.shtml
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Comment #9 posted by freedom fighter on October 02, 2001 at 23:05:18 PT
What really bother me about this article?
It seemed to me it is just a reprint of a previous article in past. Maybe I am wrong but I do remember the article. ff
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Comment #8 posted by dddd on October 01, 2001 at 01:39:45 PT
On the topic of links...
Has anyone else noticed..that it seems as if strange things are appear to be happenning more frequently in certain links?.....a certain link posted recently,came back with,"Error 404...You have been recorded" ,(or something like that)....now, perhaps these occurances are innocent anomoles,,,but that's not what I think......I think that the internet,as we now know it,will soon be a thing of the past.The "War on Terrorism",will slowly,but surely smother out the wild west freedom of the internet......It will be a gradual change,so as not to alarm the masses of AOL cyber-sheeple,,,,but the powers that be,cannot allow this to go on.......For years,I have noticed abnormalities in visiting certain websites,or downloading certain documents.It's likely that much of this could be due to bad hard/soft ware,,but if you dont think that big brother has his nose up the ass of the internet,,,then you probably also think that Sam Donaldson has nice hair,,and that the shrub is a great prezidunt....dddd
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Comment #7 posted by mayan on October 01, 2001 at 01:16:36 PT
Rainbow...
Rainbow, click on the rense.com link & scroll. You will see the list. I am no religious zealot if that is what you think. I got the Rense link from someone here by the way.
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Comment #6 posted by Rainbow on September 30, 2001 at 09:51:53 PT
Religious site?
I went to the www,rense,cim site to look for the affliations you spoke of and then was directed to a religious site http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/.Who is BroB and why send me there. I saw no link to these New World Order affliations. Must be a trick.Not interested ThanksRainbow
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Comment #5 posted by markjc on September 30, 2001 at 08:16:11 PT:
america is nosey
america needs to keep its nose in its own business and quit worrying about building an empire.
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Comment #4 posted by goneposthole on September 30, 2001 at 06:01:35 PT
elite affiliations
"Thirty years later, he still hasn't recovered from that."- The Reverend Devon Brown"People have nothing, so they plant ganja."- marijuana growerAll of the people on the list of members of the new world order began with nothing. Just the bare skin protecting their infancy."I started with nothing and I've got most of it left."- Lake County Free Press, 'Sarcatic remarks to get you through the day'The Jews were left with nothing plus a long walk home.We do not learn, when will we ever learn?Thirty years later, I still haven't recovered from that.There really is no harm in legalization. None, nothing at all, zip.
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Comment #3 posted by Ethan Russo MD on September 30, 2001 at 05:28:40 PT:
Bias and Lies
"United States diplomats and law enforcement officials have warned that decriminalization might violate international antidrug treaties and could result in Jamaica's being denied American foreign aid if it was deemed uncooperative in the war on drugs."This is a gross distortion. Jamaica's plans are wholly consistent with International treaties and policies undertaken by European countries. Is Amerika threatening Belgium, Spain, and Portugal in the same way? If so, they are not announcing that.All Jamaica would have to do is declare that the Single Convention violates the basic rights of their constitution, and then all bets would be off. They can do anything that they like with ganja."Thirty years later, he still hasn't recovered from that." I agree with ff. His brother has substituted one religion for another, and he does not like that. What if it turned out that the Rasta brother was happy and healthy? Might that interest the readers? 
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Comment #2 posted by freedom fighter on September 30, 2001 at 01:10:39 PT
Biased reporting!
The Rev. Devon Brown, a Pentecostal minister, is one opponent. His brother was a promising student in a good college, "but back in the 70's he became involved with the Rastas and began smoking ganja," he said. "Thirty years later, he still hasn't recovered from that." "It is not a positive part of our culture," Mr. Brown said. "It brings our values down."I want an interview of his brother before I can answer his question!
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Comment #1 posted by mayan on September 29, 2001 at 23:36:31 PT
Elite Affiliations
Off topic, but here is a very interesting list of Selected elites & their affiliations with the Council on Foreign Relations,Trilaterists,Bilderbergers,etc. I was surprised at all of the news anchors on this list! Larry King too!http://www.rense.com/general6/nwoaff.htm
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