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Keep ban in place
10/30/2009
LAST week, Independent Member of Parliament Hamilton Lashley raised a few eyebrows by voicing his belief that marijuana should be legalised in Barbados, for medicinal purposes only. In the past this idea to legalise marijuana, otherwise known as ganja or weed, has been pushed by a particular religious faction, which defends the right to use the matter for spiritual enlightenment. Even some so-called academics joined the bandwagon, comparing the societal effects of its use to that of a previously prohibited substance – alcohol – and saying a ban would result in an increased level of crime, similar to that which accompanied the ban on alcohol in the US in the early 20th century.
This more recent argument, using marijuana for medicinal purposes, has steadily gained ground in the US, where persons with chronic or terminal ailments have been permitted to use it to alleviate symptoms of their illnesses. According one report, 13 states have allowed prescribed marijuana use since 1996. Furthermore, the Obama administration recently gave its approval in a round-about way, stating its belief that individuals who comply with state laws governing marijuana use should not be persecuted by federal enforcement – saving valuable police manpower.
Nevertheless, its use in the US is still governed by various regulations, which are particular to each state. These include having a prescription by a doctor, being categorised with a particular type of ailment, being limited to purchasable quantities and, if you are a distributor, being limited in the number of plants that you grow.
If Barbados seeks to pursue a similar course of action in setting regulations for legalised use, it could prove problematic. For instance, relying on doctors’ prescriptions for authorisation could introduce problems whereby access is given carelessly, as has been done in the past with sick leave certification for disgruntled workers. Also, monitoring to insure persons do not produce more than is permissable, or purchase or hoard more than is allowed, would take the same law enforcement that is presently being used to prohibit it – especially if these persons are to be protected from other unsavoury characters who set out to steal this illicit commodity.
Ramifications
In fact, it is those persons who do not need marijuana for medical reasons, who use it the most. If the figures were checked, only a very low percentage of our population would probably require access for medicinal purposes. And providing it to a restricted number of people, in the midst of an overwhelming number of eager, but restricted users, is just asking for trouble. It would more likely serve to inflate the population in our prison. Already, it has been noted that the main offence leading to incarceration in this country in 2008 was that of drug possession, with 117 individuals being sent to Dodds, while the other two main offences theft (98) and burglary (90) were in many instances committed to support an individual’s drug habit, contributing to a total of approximately 300 – one third of the number imprisoned.
Added to this is the fact that the long-term effects of marijuana use have not been definitively established. Apart from the short-term ease of suffering, prescribed users run the risk of developing breathing and cardiovascular problems, psychotic episodes, a
decrease in mental (memory) and physical (poor concentration) ability, as well as a decrease in sexual
peformance in males. To this end, the US Food and Drug Administration does not approve of marijuana as safe or effective for any medicinal use.
In light of all this, it would be immature for Barbados to blindly take this step. The issue will
undoubtedly raise its head again in the future, but
serious consideration should be given to the full ramifications, to our entire society.
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