cannabisnews.com: Minor Victory for Ganja Smokers?










  Minor Victory for Ganja Smokers?

Posted by CN Staff on February 12, 2004 at 21:55:07 PT
Observer Reporter 
Source: Jamaica Observer  

Ganja smokers seem set to score a minor victory, after a Joint Select Committee of Parliament, which studied the recommendation of the National Commission on Ganja to decriminalise the drug, settled for making it a minor offence for smoking in private.However, parents of minors caught smoking the weed and owners of public premises on which it is smoked could feel the full brunt of the law, based on the recommendations of the committee.
The committee, chaired by Dr Morais Guy (PNP, Central St Mary), approved a report to Parliament Wednesday which recommended that "The Dangerous Drugs Act be amended so that the possession and use of small quantities of marijuana in private be made minor offences to be tried in the petty session of the Resident Magistrate's Court".The recommendation is but a minor improvement on the current Drug Court Act provisions, passed in 1999, which offers drug offenders minor punishment for small minor amounts, as well as treatment and rehabilitation.The committee also recommended that a reasonable, non-custodial penalty, such as a meaningful but moderate fine, be imposed for the possession and use of small quantities of marijuana in private.For the smoking of ganja on premises accessible to the public, it recommended that the owner of the premises be subject to the relevant penalty, be it a fine or any sanction that might be prescribed.However, it made no decision on the suggestion that ganja should be allowed as a sacrament in Rastafarian worship, but suggested that in order to address the issue, existing international conventions should be revisited.The committee said, too, that Jamaica's permanent representative to the Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the ACP/EU be furnished with the relevant documents to allow for representation on the re-examination of the international conventions at that forum. In particular, they recommended that a case be made for Rastafarians to be exempted under Article 32 of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances 1971, which protects religious use of substances prohibited under that treaty.Source: Jamaica Observer (Jamaica)Published: Friday, February 13, 2004Copyright: 2004 The Jamaica Observer Ltd.Contact: editorial jamaicaobserver.comWebsite: http://www.jamaicaobserver.comRelated Articles:Ease Up for Ganja - Recommendations Set http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18195.shtmlUseless Ganja Laws http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18024.shtmlA Rational Decision on Marijuana, Please http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17959.shtmlJamaica: Go Easy on Ganja Users, Says Report http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17919.shtml 

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Comment #22 posted by jose melendez on February 14, 2004 at 04:47:04 PT
milk
My doctor friend says it's the sugars that kill the buzz. I asked why, and either never understood his answer, or cannot remember it . . .
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Comment #21 posted by breeze on February 14, 2004 at 01:41:55 PT
My GOD, I am still talking about milk....
Nurse, I'm worse- I need to perk up a little...(Funky New Year- Eagles)I understand and agree with your viewpoint of the psychological and governmental abuse of/by the word treatment. At one time, milk was reccomended as remedy for several maladies,poisonings. It was later discovered to be harmful for some poisonings, helpful for others. Remember the date rape fad a few years ago? Milk was often part of the concoction due to its abilty to be absorbed into the body in a certain fashion as well as the color. Date rapes are still happening, but now the WOD's focus is on marijuana, and its willing participants, instead of this much more harmful and destructive power in a little pill.To cause anyone to experience something against their will or knowledge is deplorable and destructive behaiviour, and sadly also very common.I can quote my wife when I say that it can even have deadly results. A young man was tricked- or rather, given a cup of punch that had something in it equivalent to PCP. He thought he was invincible, and walked away from the party that he was attending and stood in the middle of an interstate highway. He was killed by a transfer truck. While she was not at the party, someone she knew was, and relayed the information to her that the punch had been "spiked" or to say that certain portions were. While there are probably a dozen ways to consume cannabis, the treatment for an "overdose" is obviously a ridiculous notion. As many scientists KNOW, it is virtually impossible to overdose on cannabis- you would likely die of carbon monoxide poisoning before succumbing to any harm that cannabis could possibly cause by smoking the herb, as the bodys natural defenses kick in and react (hence, a person would just go to sleep before being able to smoke enough cannaboids to kill) not to mention the fact that most people who die from smoke inhalation, during a house fire for example, simply succomb to carbon monoxide poisoning before the lungs collapse from lack of oxygen. If someone were to ingest cannabis, the only possibility of dying would likely be from a heart attack or choking from the stress of eating too much too quickly- say as in a pie eating contest, before EVER succombing to any reaction of the cannabis itself. The blood stream would have to absorb the cannaboids into the bloodstream at a much higher rate than the body could take, which is basically impossible given that cannabis is an herb, not a chemical and has to be broken down by enzymes inside the body, and even if this were the case, cannaboids aren't poisonous. I would think that this would be impossible anyway given that the body reacts only to the chemical process that is known as the digestive process- and cannabis, unlike any chemical, is still basically a plant substance, and the body would treat it as such.
People eat/drink poisons all the time, and never succomb to harm because of the digestive process. To give just a few examples, popular soft drinks (look it up), certain types of sushi, and some mushrooms and berries.When cannabis is heated or burned it goes through a sort of osmosis, changing the makeup of the cannaboids so that it is inhaled into the blood stream at a much higher rate than when it is consumed. If this wasn't the case, there would be a hell of a lot more bake sales. But it reacts with the brain much like anything a person breathes in or inhales- perfume and sweat have an effect on the human brain that stimulates sensual receptors within the brain, while a gas station bathroom or a chicken farm is more than likely to make one wish to be elsewhere, and gag in the process of trying to make a quick escape. 
  
If I am wrong, it is because I was never strong in biology or chemistry in school, but in my opinion this would be the case.As far as the milk objective, I can testify that it works for me- If I drink or eat anything, it works against me. Milk it seems just has that effect more than anything in my experience. I would love for someone to try this and post a response later on- an experiment so to speak, because I am not the only one who has tried this and had results that were more than effective but also annoying.In other words, we swore off milkshakes or ice cream during that time period.
Besides, whose gonna eat brownies without wanting a nice tall glass of milk? Hope everyone has a happy V-Day!
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Comment #20 posted by Petard on February 13, 2004 at 23:06:13 PT
Got Milk? "treatment"
A recovering cocaine addict ex-girlfriend had told me several years ago that milk is given for cases of overdose of opiates and alkaloids. She didn't explain whether it's the high buffering ability/capacity of the milk (which is my uneducated suspicion) or if it blocked or altered the the metabolism of the chemicals in some other way. I doubt if milk would actually effect the metabolism of cannabinoids though considering the lipid content of dairy products.Of course the obvious point made by Virgil is the fact that it is despicable behavior to subject any unknowing and therefore non-consenting person (or animal) to any form of tainted substance, not limited to food or beverage even. The harm comes from the mental anguish imposed upon an unwitting victim who has no idea if they've just ingested rat poison or a harmless (if not beneficial) substance. My point was that the use of the term "treatment" appears to be yet another overblown, overhype, abuse of the English language in regards to these kids pranks. Kind of a Chicken Little "sky is falling" push for the blind acceptance of "treatment" being required for injestion of cannabinoids through repetition of the mantra.
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Comment #19 posted by breeze on February 13, 2004 at 20:20:47 PT
comment#9-Petards question
You asked how they treat people for ingestion of cannabis.
Well, believe it or not, milk or ice cream would likely be the treatment for bringing someone "down."I do not know this for sure, as I am not a doctor.BUT!!! I do know for a fact that drinking milk, or eating ice cream definitely kills a good buzz. Eating in general brings me back down, and drinking a milkshake does it even quicker!!! I was told this by this girl who was smart about things like this, and she dared me to prove her wrong. Well,in my opinion she was right!!!Don't believe me? Try it! And tell me if I am wrong, because I would like to know if it is just psychological. If I ever needed to straighten up quick, I would just grab a yahoo and gulp it down - it was a lot more effective than caffeine. I came up with the theory that it wasn't just milk that did it, but any thick syrupy-like substance that coats the stomach lining, then again I could be wrong. Try milk and see what happens. I would like to know if its NOT a mental thing!!! Might be a neat trick to have in your bag if you needed it!Maybe that was what those "got milk?" commercials were trying to get across to us years ago in some sort of weird campaign the wod had spawned... 
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Comment #18 posted by FoM on February 13, 2004 at 12:54:20 PT

Nuevo Mexican 
I saw it on MSNBC. I'm a first reaction type of person. You remember when Kerry did his cute little puff the magic dragon thingy? That was when his campaign took off. When I saw the clip it was about if he had laryngitis (sp) what would she say in an acceptance speech for him. I think it was Jennifer Tilly? It was endearing and that might be what he needs when women see how sweet he was. 
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Comment #17 posted by Nuevo Mexican on February 13, 2004 at 12:49:50 PT

Correction: Miracles ARE daily occurences, not 
miracles OF daily occurences. I try to proofread!
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Comment #16 posted by Nuevo Mexican on February 13, 2004 at 12:47:26 PT

Glad you saw it FOM!
Where did you see it? I hope his website provides a link to the whole shebang! What a great first lady to the President. Even though it was for a 'date', she really acted like she would marry him, from what she said and the way she acted.
Didn't they make a great couple!Miracles of daily occurences, although this one was broadcast in the evening! LOL!
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on February 13, 2004 at 11:40:54 PT

Nuevo Mexican 
I just saw a clip of Dennis on Jay Leno last night and I thought it was cute. 
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Comment #14 posted by FoM on February 13, 2004 at 11:08:46 PT

Nuevo Mexican 
Yesterday we rented our first movie in almost 10 years and I got caught up in the movie and then remembered about Dennis being on Leno and quick turned it on but Barkley was on so I must have missed it. I watched Seabiscuit. It was a very good movie. I love horses and Jeff Bridges so I really enjoyed it.
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Comment #13 posted by Nuevo Mexican on February 13, 2004 at 11:03:12 PT

Leno looked like the a-hole he is...Dennis: Cool!
Even if Jay wanted to make Dennis look bad, it backfired!Sometimes Jay is funny, but not when he makes jokes at the expense of his guest, which actually is only a dis-service to Jay himself. Clueless, rich, pompus, and Clint Eastwood bendovering, (sad, sad, sad commentary). Did you hear his racist comment (my opinion) he made about Charles Barkley first thing, 'yeah, he's a big guy, don't know if I could take him down, cause i'm not wearing a weapon'. (laughter). He didn't even realize what that implied. Translation: Big Black Sports star vs. Gun toting movie star, Weapon trumps size, but who was asking Clint if he was afraid of Charles? NOt Jay, he just asked if he met Charles backstage. Clint brought it up himself, revealing his fear of Taller, succesful Black Sports stars or something freudian.And he did his great bush imitation, saying it was the accent Europeans think all Americans have. He is soooo totally clueless. (I use to like Rowdy Yates from Rawhide, that was his heyday I suppose)Back to Leno and Dennis:My wife, and most wives, would gladly leave me, or their husbands for Dennis Kucinich, mostly because of his integrity, and anti-Arnoldness! And his 'Kuteness'. 
LOL!I'm on my best behavior!And we have a perfect marriage!(Hint: Don't take your wife to meet him!)Watch out America! Dennis is a magnet for our wives, mothers, daughters, and nieces! Lock your doors, and turn off your TV's!So Dennis scored a coup last night, with millions of women, straight and gay men, kids of all ages. Cybil Shepard was hilarious, and the regug Radio Host a nitwit, and his choice for first lady awesome! Imagine them as President and First Lady! That would be the perfect world. But nooooo, only the worst case is possible, forget your hopes, wishes, and highest standards.This is a huge plus for Dennis, he made the right choice and they look perfect together. I taped it and it was funnier the second time I watched it than the first!And potentially all those voters who've beened 'funneled into the kerry camp, (involuntarily, all because the media crowned him, as the Kerry/Gephardt machine took Dean down from the inside'), and everybody wants to vote for the 'percieved' winner don't they? Sheeple. tsk, tsk.The 'media coup' wins for now, but only temporarily. Who needs bush when you have the Dems to take care of biz (or dirty tricks)?Dennis (and now even Dean, since he's been radicalized, and exposed to the 'real' power behind the throne), are the only candidates worth our vote, Kerry could have an epiphany and steal Dennis' whole platform, and that would be the best scenario, lets hope this is what happens.Look at the events of late! Gay marriage in Mass, now Gay marriage in San Fran, what is a homophobic (or Dem) repug to do? Move to Canada? LOL!See how fast things change, and how conservative kerry looks compared to the times we live in. And compared to the people how live in these times. He's afraid to embrace cannabis legalization, something Dennis is not.Its' 2004 John Kerry, wake up and smell the cannabis! You can be a beacon of light, and a force of good, let's see if you value the life of America today, the way you rightfully protested the war in Viet Nam. You have it in you, call for U.S. troops out of Iraq now, and I will have to do everything in my power to get you elected. Then you can end the war on drugs, and we'll be proven wrong, and you'll be a true hero!Jane Fonda for First Lady! Kerrys wife makes John Kerry look good in comparison, what's up with that! (It's usual for the first lady to be the 'standard bearer' but Teresa Heinz-Kerry is too rich to embrace being a thorn in the side of the capitalist-militarist system. But who knows, we're all capable of epiphanies aren't we!) 
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on February 13, 2004 at 09:26:17 PT

kaptinemo
Our day has come! Yes, we just keep on keepin' on! We plod along nice and steady but never stop. I love it! Slowly ever so slowly we are becoming a mainstream issue! 
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Comment #11 posted by ekim on February 13, 2004 at 08:29:04 PT

Leno let down
Gee watching Jay Leno last night reminded me why I don't more often. To make such a farce of Dennis Kucinich the only person to be calling for the regulation of Cannabis and calling for the end of the War and to repeal the P.A. shows how shallow Jay is.And Clint never gave Dennis one Prop.Never asking a NBA member Barkley who know doubt has seen the advantage of Herb over Alcee is a disgrace. and Kevin the band leader who is always making good points about the plant said nothing about the only Dem running that validates Kevin's stance. 
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Comment #10 posted by Virgil on February 13, 2004 at 07:56:57 PT

Kucinich video ads on WOD and MiraclePlant issues
http://www.kucinich.us/dp.htmPetard- People would be seriously concerned over something they ate especially when they do not know what it is. If food is laced with something and produces any strange feelings people would be out of their skin with concern.My feeling is once it was known to be just cannabis, the remedy would be to wait a few hours. On the subject of the media- It seems that Dean said on December 1, that the media conglomerates needed to be busted up. 
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Comment #9 posted by Petard on February 13, 2004 at 07:39:24 PT

Question?
I've been seeing a lot of this type story lately: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=583&u=/nm/20040213/od_nm/odd_germany_hashish_dc&printer=1 Where it is claimed they "treat" medically for the accidental ingestion of cannabis and cannabinoids. My question is: What does this "treatment" consist of? Is it setting out chips and dip, various candy bars, and turning on the Cartoon Network or the Comedy Channel? Or, do they actually bring in scary people like politicians and cops to stimulate heightened paranoia? Or, do they introduce free radicals and carcinogens, bronchial constrictors, and induce brain damage to force the cannabinoid molecules into actions other than mild intoxication?Since cannabis is non-toxic, and only has short term memory effects on the negative side of the coin, just how would one go about "treating" a person who ingested it? Seems to me any "treatment" against cannabinoids would be harmful.
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Comment #8 posted by Dankhank on February 13, 2004 at 07:26:46 PT:

Joint Committee ... I gotcha
Here is the title and text of my LTEJoint Select Committee of Parliament on Ganga ... gotta love that title ...Sirs and Madams ...Jamaicans who use Ganga for medicine, religion or recreation must look at the recommendations of the Joint Select Committee of Parliament with concern. Seemingly a step to sanity, the Committee is in fact marching in place. No real change will happen here. How do the Jamaican police catch a Ganga user when they are in private now? Why is the new recommendation any better?There are many studies of Ganga, some done in Jamaica, that I could cite to show how harmless Ganga is, but I will ask this. Why does most of the world think it is proper to cage a human for using a plant?Jamaica is fast losing an opportunity to make some meaningful change to the archaic and barbaric Ganga laws. There are valid human rights issues to a human's right to use Ganga.If Jamaica legalized Ganga there would be Ganga-Cruises to your beautiful island nation. Happy, hungry people spending money. How could that be bad?H B
US Army ret.
Oklaref: http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18339.shtmloff topic --- my "Free ISP" wants to start charging me a fee ... any good free isps still around?

Hemp N Stuff
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Comment #7 posted by mayan on February 13, 2004 at 06:18:43 PT

"Private"
I'm confused. If you're in "private" then who could possibly bust you? If the cops are able to bust you then you obviously aren't in private! Would a porta-pot be considered private? If so, if the cops broke open the door of the porta-pot would it still be private? Anyway, it seems like a step in the right direction! On an unrelated note, Bush's approval rating is at an all time low. Look out!President Bush: Job Ratings
http://www.pollingreport.com/BushJob.htmThe way out is the way in...9/11 Panel to Seek Testimony From Bush: 
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040212/ap_on_re_us/sept_11_commissionStewardess ID'd Hijackers Early, Transcripts Show:
http://www.observer.com/pages/frontpage1.aspDeal between 9/11 Commission, White House a fraud: 
http://www.libertythink.com/2004_02_08_archives.html#107648564227469982
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Comment #6 posted by kaptinemo on February 13, 2004 at 05:41:44 PT:

Yes, we do 'keep on surviving', don't we?
This phenomenon of cannabists rising to take their place at the political table has been a long time coming. The greatest success antis have had was to get us to believe that we were powerless. But we 'keep on keepin' on'. A 'powerless' majority...of scores of millions strong...against a sick, twisted minority that perhaps numbers in the thousands. What's wrong with that picture? What's ALWAYS been wrong with that picture?Friends, our time is now. As much as many pols might not *like* to listen to us, they are between a rock and a hard place. They know that the past 2 elections have hung on both illegal political legerdemain and swing voters. To counter the former, the latter group must be greatly expanded. WE represent a voting bloc of swing voters TENS, IF NOT *SCORES* OF MILLIONS strong. All we have to do is let the Dems know they can have our support, but for a price.And also, the tacit threat is that any attempt to cheat us of our share of the victory spoils by reneging on their promises is to face the same kind of public embarrassment that the Republicans did with the anti-war protestors. Our own civil rights as citizens of this country have been abused for far too long; if anybody has a right to raise a stink in the streets, it's US. 'Flash Mobs' happen with little or no warning, and for little reason other than for the sheer fun of it; imagine what a few flash mobs of cannabists, with PLENTY of reason to make public their displeasure with the laws, began showing up, all around the country. (Don't bring weed, just show.)It doesn't get any simpler than that. And it doesn't have to.
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Comment #5 posted by Sam Adams on February 13, 2004 at 05:11:31 PT

Nothing's changed in 30 years....
See them fighting for power But they know not the hour So they bribing with 
Their guns, spare-parts and money Trying to belittle our integrity They say what we know Is just what they teach us Thru political strategy They keep us hungry When you gonna get some food Your brother got to be your enemy See them fighting for power But they know not the hour So they bribing With their guns, spare-parts and money Trying to belittle our integrity Well what we know Is not what they tell us We're not ignorant, I mean it And they just could not touch us Thru the powers of the most high We keep on surfacing Thru the powers of the most high We keep on surviving -Bob Marley "Ambush in the Night"
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Comment #4 posted by kaptinemo on February 13, 2004 at 03:53:27 PT:

The Single Convention Treaty sham
essentially goes that any signatory to the Treaty CANNOT leave it.This is false. Any signatory MAY leave it...with 6 months notice. It is largely a matter of standing up to the promulgator of that Treaty, namely, the US, and saying "we are leaving." The UN has only as much power to prevent this as the US has the political will to do so. Period.But of course, there's the rub. We here in The States know all too well of Uncle's tendency to use underhanded methods to derail locally popular legislation; just look at Props 200 and 215, and just about every MMJ bill that has ever been proposed. Uncle has gone so far as to break his own law against public servants politicking against legislation that would affect them adversely - such as Barry did by convening his little kaffeeklatsch to derail Props 200 and 215, using government resources. A direct violation of the Hatch Act by interfering in State politics, and if this government were not so corrupted by too much control of all 3 branches by Republicans, it would have been grounds for a public scandal. That Uncle would interfere in the affairs of less powerful nations is a given.But, America's cachet in the world has dropped enormously, and Uncle can no longer crack the whip with any degree of 'moral authority', given the butcheries in Afghanistan and Iraq...and the 'revelations' that they were based upon lies, political ambition and greed. The rest of the world sees Uncle as a naked bully stripped of righteous pretense, now...and they are getting sick of it. They will assert their own national priorties with ever greater confidence. This small step is but a taste of what Uncle may expect in the next two years, as the process of revealing what has actually been going on here, domestically, begins to take precedence over international affairs.In any event, the Single Convention Treaty is not the ball-and-chain that the antis wish everyone to be deluded into thinking it is. The Dutch have skirted that for the last quarter century and suffered no harm. Time for other nations to follow suit.
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Comment #3 posted by Critto on February 13, 2004 at 03:04:35 PT:

NOW THAT'S THE POINT !!!
Virgil,"How many voters are there in Jamaica. A million? How about just putting it to a vote and leave out the UN Treaties that can be dropped?"YES. Jamaica should renounce those tyrannic conventions, in the same way as the Federal Republic of Germany (BRD) renounced the convention against pornography (in the 1960s or 1970s). Being a heartland of Rastafarianism, Jamaica should be the first nation to give up those tyrannic conventions and pull the loose fabric of the prohibition's corset, allowing it to fade away. What about international pressure on the Jamaican government that it legalised Ganja and stopped the madness which prevents this country from holding its sacred plant legal and sacred, and not the 'dangerous drug' to be rooted out (actually, I condemnt any drug's prohibition, but it's not the matter here) ?? Well, prohibition of Ganja in Jamaica is equally 'reasonable' as it would be 'reasonable' to prohibit wine in France, Italy, Spain or Hungary. Or beer in Germany. " How about a direct vote as a national iniative? Can't do that because it would end prohibition. Well, subvert the only logical conclusion and whatever you do don't ask the people if they like being arrested over ganja."I really don't know Jamaican laws. Do you know something closer about them? Or any Jamaicans?? Maybe it's the idea we should propose them ...
Cheerz,
Critto
LIBERTARYZM=LIBERTARIANISM
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Comment #2 posted by Critto on February 13, 2004 at 02:54:39 PT:

3 CHEERZ FOR JAMAICA !!!
Yeah, it's a 'baby step', but it's a really good baby step. First of all, Jamaica has shown the US anti-drug bureaucracy that it isn't jerking to them. It took some courage, but the courage is, and always was a key to freedom. I hope that Jamaica, the world's center of Ganja as the element of culture and religion, will be the first country to totally decriminalise (meaning: no penalties at all; well, call it 'legalisation' if you want) for ganja ownership, trade and use. Besides, there is a bit of lovely irony in the article's text:"Ganja smokers seem set to score a minor victory, after a Joint Select Committee of Parliament"JOINT??? :) Yep, ganja and JOINTS, it's obvious:) Naturally, I know that 'joint' is an adjective derived of the verb 'to join', but it's funny anyway, isn't it ??UP WITH JAMAICA !!
In Liberty,
Critto
LIBERTARYZM=LIBERTARIANISM
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Comment #1 posted by Virgil on February 12, 2004 at 23:16:29 PT

Committe. Ttask force. How about a vote?
How many voters are there in Jamaica. A million? How about just putting it to a vote and leave out the UN Treaties that can be dropped? How about a direct vote as a national iniative? Can't do that because it would end prohibition. Well, subvert the only logical conclusion and whatever you do don't ask the people if they like being arrested over ganja.
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