The Truth About Marijuana, Ganga, Weed

A Video Documentary That Tells All (below)

Decriminalize It...

If there are any laws that have never been studied or enacted based on rational thinking, it's the law that govern the growing, distribution and sales of  marijuana in the Caribbean.

The time has come for all good men to stand in the aid of their country. The fact is that most people are afraid to stand by their beliefs that the laws are wrong and unjust.

Afraid that they will be blacklisted and prosecuted.  Maybe they are smokers who understand the stigma that goes along with being identified as a user.

The stigma is of one being an addict, not as bad as a piper (coke addict) but bad enough to feel ashamed.  In the Caribbean fines for possession of marijuana is sometimes stiffer than fines for cocaine.  Why?

Yet every Monday morning or any day of the week we have people being outed in the court system after having been arrested for marijuana possession.  In the Caribbean it is an accepted way of life, everyday a family is traumatized  someone may have to pay a hefty fine to the state or face jail time. People who had trouble buying a ten dollar bag of weed is suddenly expected to raise four or five thousand dollars or go to jail.  That is the casualties of the war on drugs.

The irony is that even though the Caribbean is known for heavy marijuana use, the laws are more strict here than anywhere else. The reality though is that one Caribbean country has any basis for adopting the laws that they do.  It's like these are the laws that work in the main house so it must be made to work for the people in the field.  It's like if nobody in the field is thinking but blindly following the laws of other people's land.  Even when they change them we still hold on to the old laws.  The question is...

Which Caribbean island will be the first to decriminalize or legalize marijuana?

In the 2007 Trinidad and Tobago General Elections campaign the United National Congress (UNC) under the leadership of Basdeo Panday proposed a new approach to the marijuana laws.   Caribbean: Trinidad & Tobago Political Leader Calls For New Approach in Dealing with Marijuana

This time the question was put to the Foreign Affairs Minister, Winston Dookeran, by his counterpart, Luis Fernando Carrera Castro, Guatamala's Minister of Foreign Affairs.  His position was that it would reduce the profit for international organized crime.  Mr. Dookeran responded by saying that he was in full support of and  encourages “the consideration of new approaches to the world drug problem in the Americas based on scientific knowledge and evidence.”

He further stated that; “We should find ways and means to decriminalise the operation and the use of drugs,”

Read the full article here

Could this possibly be a new era in the national thinking or just talk to placate his guests?

What is known of the man is that he is a straight shooter.  He does not say things flippantly but he has no clout in the government with this regard.  Indeed the Health Minister, Fuad Khan, has emerged as an opponent to any sort of decriminalization. In his opinion the move would encourage a negative perception of drug use.      .  


The question is' should marijuana be legalized or decriminalized? 

The answer is that most of us do not have all the information to respond intelligently.  There is a lot more to the question than any of the ministers are asking.  Maybe they too are not aware or rather they can only see it from the perspective of crime and international trade. .Not aware of why marijuana is considered dangerous?  Not aware of the medical benefits of marijuana?  

It's not about the perception of drug use, that perception was formed by people who benefited from the results.  Because it is illegal it will reduce crime, for sure.  But that too is not the point.  Take a look at the following video and find out why Trinidad and Tobago as a country and the Caribbean region should stop blindly enacting laws and supporting positions that are contrary to the facts.  

This is not an attempt to support the use of marijuana as a drug but to provide information that "educated" people should have at their finger tips. 

View the video below:

Leave a comment if you have learned anything about marijuana, its benefits and dangers..  The movement has started, Do you want to join?

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