Filed under: General — xhanubis @ 5:18 pm

Hindsight is twenty twenty an old saying that suggest that when looking back at history you see everything a whole lot clearer. You get to appreciate the subtle nuances of the player holding all the cards knowing exactly what’s to be played in what order. I am lying in bed shaking the last remnants of sleep from my eyes and the thought ran through my mind, that I have a birthday in a few weeks, I have a birthday coming, I am whole year older and I lived in the age of the titans. I have lived to see not only the end of apartheid, but also Nelson Mandela’s freedom and subsequent rise to be the president of South Africa. I was alive when the Berlin wall fell, I saw Michael Jordan, Ronaldhino, Maradona, Tiger Woods, Mike Tyson (pre Prison), Asafa Powell, Brian Lara, and so many others at the top of their game.

I was alive for Jamaica’s 25yrs independence celebration and with a little luck I will be here for 50, I saw the end of the cold war and the rise of the new Global community, I saw Mother Theresa inspire millions, I saw the debut of the Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video, I was alive at Bob Marley’s death and subsequent rise to superstardom and now I am here watching his son Damian follow in his footsteps. I saw Shabba Ranks, Shaggy and Sean Paul Take the world by storm, I am here in a time when any and everyone wants to wear the flowing locks of the rastafarian, when “Ganja” is being lauded for its medicinal values, when a hottie with locks can be a Beauty Queen.

I have seen an idiot become the president of a superpower and also witness the ascension of a woman: Mrs. Portia Simpson Miller, to the high office of prime minister of Jamaica and thats just a small sample of the wonders that are taking place in my time…our time. Why wait for hindsight? why not just take a few moments to just savor some of the great and small miracles that are taking place in our lifetime? why not appreciate them now…savor them now.

Why not embrace the idea and enjoy this, “The Age of Titans”.

Filed under: Jamaican Politics, Life in Jamaica — xhanubis @ 5:09 pm

The number one earner of foreign exchange in Jamaica is tourism. Likewise our number one agricultural produce is Marijuana, “Mary J”, “Ganja”, “Pot” depending on where you light up your, “Bong”, “Chalice”, or “Spliff”. Now given its potential as a foreign exchange earner and its widespread usage locally, it is mystifying to some why “Herb” is still illegal. Let us take the argument further and examine the pros and cons of “The legalisation of Marjuana in Jamaica”.

Pros:

1. The re-focus of much needed man-power and resources from a failed eradication excercise to more pressing areas like child molestation, murder and corruption.

2. Removal of decades of oppression perpetrated against the Rastafarian Religion which utilises “Herb” as a sacrament.

3. Addition of a new dimension to tourism “Come to Jamaica, get high”. Considering we are one hour and twenty minutes from Miami and famous for our “Weed” Air-Jamaica might just become viable.

4. Removal of rebel status and making it a drug of the establishment, hereby reducing its attractiveness to youngsters.

5. Removing the burden of “Marijuana” related cases from the courts, so they can deal with more pressing and relevant matters.

6. Medical benefits

Cons:

1. US de-certification of Jamaica as a nation commited to the “War” against drugs resulting in reduced grants and aid to our hemmoraging economy.

Considering the fact that I personally do not smoke, or sell “Ganja” and have nothing to gain personally from decriminalisation its astounds me that outside of political pressure from the USA there is no real reason why this drug is still illegal. Of course some people are going to argue, that if it becomes legal its usage would increase, I beg to differ as sitting here at my computer writing this article I can get a stick of weed alot easier than I can get a good plate of “Run Dung”.

The people who want to smoke “Weed” are already weed smokers and its legal status will in no way affect their consumption of the drug.

Likewise the argument that its going to “mad yuh” or cause other negative mental health effects, see the argument above. To be brutally honest we know that drug control is not about protecting a population as cigarettes and alcohol kill more people yearly than all illegal drugs combine and we are bot being protected from those.

SUGGESTIONS:

Lets legalise “Marijuana”, if not for export at least for local consumption. Lets bring it out of hiding and impose taxation like any other commodity. Lets invite our North American counterparts to partake, let them smoke as much as they want here without the ability to “tek it wid dem” so they come back for repeat visits. Lets build up industry around Marijuana (planting, curing, rolling, packaging) and create employment from a resource that we have naturally.

History can teach us a lot of lessons and using the prohibition period in the USA as a textbook, we know that a government will never control a population’s drug use. Even after billions have been spent on drug campaigns in the US and here in Jamaica, the victory is still elusive. Drug usage have continued unabated. Lets stop wasting our resources and spend money on educating people about the possible effects of smoking “Weed” lets de-criminalise “Marijuana” so we can better, measure, manage and monitor drug use. Let us in the words of the late great Peter Tosh “Legalise It”.