The jamaican government are looking at legalizing " da erb " again.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080301/ap_ ... _marijuana
Much like before when they have tried, the biggest obstacle seems to be the u.s and its threat of sanctions over the island should they stop their anti drug effort.
Jamaica to legalize ?
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HasAnyoneSeenMyPipe
- Posts: 976
- Joined: Sun 29th Apr 2007 09:52 pm
- Location: Northern Ireland
Yes, it is hypocritical. We should stay out of Jamaica's affairs and we should also leave the Cali med clubs alone...there's nothing to clean up!HasAnyoneSeenMyPipe wrote:Bloody American Gov are hypocrites, why do they feel the need to interfere with another govs business when states like Cali have Med Marijuana dispensories, they should clean up their own back yard b4 pissing in someone elses.
this would be great..
but everytime i have been to jamaica, i have never been hassled and normally smoked just about anywhere in the hotels i have stayed in..its already pretty relaxed.
they seem to be getting/growing some pretty good herb over there, , also had some nice hash as well.. although u have to look hard, as there is still is alot of ses and brown stemmy weed.
cheers
but everytime i have been to jamaica, i have never been hassled and normally smoked just about anywhere in the hotels i have stayed in..its already pretty relaxed.
they seem to be getting/growing some pretty good herb over there, , also had some nice hash as well.. although u have to look hard, as there is still is alot of ses and brown stemmy weed.
cheers
' Smoke em if you got em '
I found that even the 'normal' weed to be of good quality, lots of crystals when you break a nugget open.
Probably becuase of being organicly grown in its natural enviroment , and not being compressed and smuggled for weeks on end, it dosent have that stale ,earthiness. Lots of strains are available and came across buds that will give anywhere a run for its money.
i cannot truly relax though with the threat of a jamaican jail over me, and being suspicious of anyone who offers you herb, which happens before you leave the airport lol.
Probably becuase of being organicly grown in its natural enviroment , and not being compressed and smuggled for weeks on end, it dosent have that stale ,earthiness. Lots of strains are available and came across buds that will give anywhere a run for its money.
i cannot truly relax though with the threat of a jamaican jail over me, and being suspicious of anyone who offers you herb, which happens before you leave the airport lol.
Jamaica considers calls to decriminalise use of ganja
Jamaica considers calls to decriminalise use of ganja
Law reform could halt courts logjam - but the issues are not that simple
This article appeared in the Guardian on Tuesday March 11 2008 on p27 of the International section. It was last updated at 12:40 on March 11 2008.
Rastafarian priest Headley Samuel
Rastafarian priest Headley Samuel holds up a stem of pungent marijuana and reveals his recipe for bliss: "Fast, breakfast, drink aloe vera and smoke ganja."
His routine, which he says takes him to "the highest spiritual realm", makes him a lawbreaker. But soon that may change. Jamaica, the largest producer of cannabis in the Caribbean, is considering decriminalising use of the drug.
A seven-member government commission has examined possible reforms of the nation's anti-drug laws, which some police complain clog up courts and jails with marijuana-related cases.
Possession of ganja, as it is known in Jamaica, can be punished with imprisonment. Some Jamaicans consider that disproportionate and a recent newspaper poll revealed that Jamaicans rate smoking above drinking as a way to wind down.
It is widely used, with fumes wafting from Kingston building sites and across bars. Quantities are openly for sale in parts of downtown Kingston for as little as 35p for a spliff.
A previous government-appointed ganja commission proposed decriminalisation in 2003. That was never acted upon because the government feared it would cause the withdrawal of their country's US anti-drug certification and trigger economic sanctions.
The new Jamaican Labour party government, which took power last year, has decided to think again.
"We are happy to know this has not been forgotten," said Paul Burke, president of the National Alliance for the Legalisation of Ganja. "It would release the police from the bind of an unjust and an unenforceable law.
"If you go to a football match in Jamaica, it is smoked with impunity. Ganja should be allowed to be smoked in people's private residences and everybody should be allowed a certain amount and should be allowed to grow some stems in their own area."
The drug is revered by Rastafarians who believe a verse in Psalms which says God "causeth the grass to grow for cattle, and the herb for the service of man" gives them the right to defy the law. But thousands more use it as a recreational drug and cultivation has increased following the recent crackdown on cocaine trafficking.
The western slopes of the parishes of Westmoreland and St Elizabeth produce the most coveted varieties. There the crop, which grows to two metres, is hidden from the police and army among sugar cane fields.
"I don't see why the government tries to fight it," said Verona White, 49, a mother of six children and an orthodox Bobo Rastafarian. "Anywhere water catches in Jamaica, it grows. Doctor, lawyer, everybody takes it. I went to see a pastor in St Ann's parish and he told me he couldn't preach without it."
Another Bobo rasta, priest Emmanuel Moses, 56, made more outlandish claims for its powers.
"It drives away Aids and diseases like that," he said. "It's a medicine for the world. It's not a drug. Herb is herb."
However, the review is unlikely to propose a complete liberalisation, according to consultees. Allowances for use at home and small-scale cultivation could be offset by bans on smoking in public places and educational campaigns to discourage children from taking the drug.
There is a strong lobby from conservative sections of Jamaican society who object to passive ganja smoking and doctors have urged the government to produce public information campaigns explaining the side effects, particularly on mental health.
Dr Rosemarie Wright-Pascoe, president of the Medical Association of Jamaica, said the review had partly been triggered by research showing an increase in the use of marijuana among children and concern at the increasingly open use of the drug in public places.
British government officials in Jamaica, concerned at the failure of police to prevent organised crime and cocaine trafficking which causes violence on Britain's streets, said decriminalisation could free up the criminal justice system for fighting more serious crime. But it is not a simple equation.
"Jamaica, sadly, is a world leader in the cultivation of marijuana and one of the big problems in the country is the ganja-for-guns trade with Haiti," said Brendan Gill, the senior political secretary at the British high commission.
"The guns come into Haiti from the US and then they find their way here. Legalisation might entrench the power of the dons and gangs who are already using marijuana to bring in guns."
Local guide to ganja varieties
Colly herb Dry, brown variety with a fresh taste. Considered a basic and relatively mild variety
Indica Strong, cross-bred variety which grows well in Westmoreland. Related to skunk, with a sticky consistency
White Rhino and White Ice, Strongest Jamaican varieties, fertilised with bat droppings and fruit
Lambs Bread, "Gummy" variety with a flat, broad bud that smokers say resembles a slice of bread. It packs a strong punch
Cotton and Thyme Varieties with soft, small and tender buds which thrive best on the sunny, west-facing slopes of the parish of Westmoreland
Source
Law reform could halt courts logjam - but the issues are not that simple
This article appeared in the Guardian on Tuesday March 11 2008 on p27 of the International section. It was last updated at 12:40 on March 11 2008.
Rastafarian priest Headley Samuel
Rastafarian priest Headley Samuel holds up a stem of pungent marijuana and reveals his recipe for bliss: "Fast, breakfast, drink aloe vera and smoke ganja."
His routine, which he says takes him to "the highest spiritual realm", makes him a lawbreaker. But soon that may change. Jamaica, the largest producer of cannabis in the Caribbean, is considering decriminalising use of the drug.
A seven-member government commission has examined possible reforms of the nation's anti-drug laws, which some police complain clog up courts and jails with marijuana-related cases.
Possession of ganja, as it is known in Jamaica, can be punished with imprisonment. Some Jamaicans consider that disproportionate and a recent newspaper poll revealed that Jamaicans rate smoking above drinking as a way to wind down.
It is widely used, with fumes wafting from Kingston building sites and across bars. Quantities are openly for sale in parts of downtown Kingston for as little as 35p for a spliff.
A previous government-appointed ganja commission proposed decriminalisation in 2003. That was never acted upon because the government feared it would cause the withdrawal of their country's US anti-drug certification and trigger economic sanctions.
The new Jamaican Labour party government, which took power last year, has decided to think again.
"We are happy to know this has not been forgotten," said Paul Burke, president of the National Alliance for the Legalisation of Ganja. "It would release the police from the bind of an unjust and an unenforceable law.
"If you go to a football match in Jamaica, it is smoked with impunity. Ganja should be allowed to be smoked in people's private residences and everybody should be allowed a certain amount and should be allowed to grow some stems in their own area."
The drug is revered by Rastafarians who believe a verse in Psalms which says God "causeth the grass to grow for cattle, and the herb for the service of man" gives them the right to defy the law. But thousands more use it as a recreational drug and cultivation has increased following the recent crackdown on cocaine trafficking.
The western slopes of the parishes of Westmoreland and St Elizabeth produce the most coveted varieties. There the crop, which grows to two metres, is hidden from the police and army among sugar cane fields.
"I don't see why the government tries to fight it," said Verona White, 49, a mother of six children and an orthodox Bobo Rastafarian. "Anywhere water catches in Jamaica, it grows. Doctor, lawyer, everybody takes it. I went to see a pastor in St Ann's parish and he told me he couldn't preach without it."
Another Bobo rasta, priest Emmanuel Moses, 56, made more outlandish claims for its powers.
"It drives away Aids and diseases like that," he said. "It's a medicine for the world. It's not a drug. Herb is herb."
However, the review is unlikely to propose a complete liberalisation, according to consultees. Allowances for use at home and small-scale cultivation could be offset by bans on smoking in public places and educational campaigns to discourage children from taking the drug.
There is a strong lobby from conservative sections of Jamaican society who object to passive ganja smoking and doctors have urged the government to produce public information campaigns explaining the side effects, particularly on mental health.
Dr Rosemarie Wright-Pascoe, president of the Medical Association of Jamaica, said the review had partly been triggered by research showing an increase in the use of marijuana among children and concern at the increasingly open use of the drug in public places.
British government officials in Jamaica, concerned at the failure of police to prevent organised crime and cocaine trafficking which causes violence on Britain's streets, said decriminalisation could free up the criminal justice system for fighting more serious crime. But it is not a simple equation.
"Jamaica, sadly, is a world leader in the cultivation of marijuana and one of the big problems in the country is the ganja-for-guns trade with Haiti," said Brendan Gill, the senior political secretary at the British high commission.
"The guns come into Haiti from the US and then they find their way here. Legalisation might entrench the power of the dons and gangs who are already using marijuana to bring in guns."
Local guide to ganja varieties
Colly herb Dry, brown variety with a fresh taste. Considered a basic and relatively mild variety
Indica Strong, cross-bred variety which grows well in Westmoreland. Related to skunk, with a sticky consistency
White Rhino and White Ice, Strongest Jamaican varieties, fertilised with bat droppings and fruit
Lambs Bread, "Gummy" variety with a flat, broad bud that smokers say resembles a slice of bread. It packs a strong punch
Cotton and Thyme Varieties with soft, small and tender buds which thrive best on the sunny, west-facing slopes of the parish of Westmoreland
Source
Last edited by Puffin13 on Fri 21st Mar 2008 11:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
Cannabis is The Tree of Life
Debate: Legalise marijuana
Debate: Legalise marijuana
Friday March 14 2008
by Akedia Christopher
While the matter of the decriminalisation of marijuana starts to spread its tentacles across the region, St. Kitts/Nevis Attorney-General Dennis Merchant appears to have chosen to stay mum on the matter.
When the SUN contacted Merchant’s office the day before yesterday and again yesterday to solicit his comments on the debate now heating up in Jamaica, we were told by his secretary that he would not be willing to accommodate an interview on the subject.
Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Cromwell Henry, however, told the SUN that it is unrealistic to think that the use of marijuana can be eradicated. He said, “It is obvious it is very prevalent in St. Kitts” and directed attention to the press releases which are issued “on a daily basis where you would see almost daily, persons are arrested for possession as well as with intent to supply” the ‘herb’.
He added that there is also “a number of instances” where marijuana has been found “being cultivated on large plots of land in the cane fields,” and said “it is a cause for concern.”
The PRO however vouched to continue their eradication efforts and “try and keep this drug to a manageable level.”
He also said though they realise they cannot totally eradicate the drug, pressure would be maintained and they will “try and stay on top of the situation with regards to control.”
The SUN spoke with a fervent believer in the Rastafarian faith, Larry ‘Sankofah’ Short on the issue, he said “the ‘herb’ itself is something the Almighty created and there is no plant that He creates, any system or any order should try to make illegal.” He said he sees it as “discrimination against the Almighty himself the Creator of all”.
Short added, “I hold a view that marijuana should be legal based on the principle in the Bible, which should be held as the highest form of Constitution” if “you are (proclaiming to be a) Christian nation that believes in the almighty.
“The herb cannot be abused as it is a creation of the almighty” as opposed to cocaine, cigarettes and alcohol which were produced by mankind himself, Short said, and added that the law which the system brings forward is “a direct contradiction to the written statement in Genesis which states that the Almighty gives us all fruit bearing seed and plant to use as a herb for mankind.”
Source
Friday March 14 2008
by Akedia Christopher
While the matter of the decriminalisation of marijuana starts to spread its tentacles across the region, St. Kitts/Nevis Attorney-General Dennis Merchant appears to have chosen to stay mum on the matter.
When the SUN contacted Merchant’s office the day before yesterday and again yesterday to solicit his comments on the debate now heating up in Jamaica, we were told by his secretary that he would not be willing to accommodate an interview on the subject.
Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Cromwell Henry, however, told the SUN that it is unrealistic to think that the use of marijuana can be eradicated. He said, “It is obvious it is very prevalent in St. Kitts” and directed attention to the press releases which are issued “on a daily basis where you would see almost daily, persons are arrested for possession as well as with intent to supply” the ‘herb’.
He added that there is also “a number of instances” where marijuana has been found “being cultivated on large plots of land in the cane fields,” and said “it is a cause for concern.”
The PRO however vouched to continue their eradication efforts and “try and keep this drug to a manageable level.”
He also said though they realise they cannot totally eradicate the drug, pressure would be maintained and they will “try and stay on top of the situation with regards to control.”
The SUN spoke with a fervent believer in the Rastafarian faith, Larry ‘Sankofah’ Short on the issue, he said “the ‘herb’ itself is something the Almighty created and there is no plant that He creates, any system or any order should try to make illegal.” He said he sees it as “discrimination against the Almighty himself the Creator of all”.
Short added, “I hold a view that marijuana should be legal based on the principle in the Bible, which should be held as the highest form of Constitution” if “you are (proclaiming to be a) Christian nation that believes in the almighty.
“The herb cannot be abused as it is a creation of the almighty” as opposed to cocaine, cigarettes and alcohol which were produced by mankind himself, Short said, and added that the law which the system brings forward is “a direct contradiction to the written statement in Genesis which states that the Almighty gives us all fruit bearing seed and plant to use as a herb for mankind.”
Source
Cannabis is The Tree of Life
sounds not too bad so far....if they really decriminlize it and build something like the dutch coffeeshops, I will start saving money to go to Jamaica.....I wanted to go anyway, but if they legalize it, then I will spend as much money as I can in this country to show my respect for them having the balls to legalize it 