JAMAICA HAS LED the region by decriminalising the use of marijuana by allowing the possession of up to two ounces of marijuana; cultivation of five or fewer plants on any premises, use by Rastafarians for religious practice and the attainment of a medical licence for medicinal purposes.
This move has sparked curiosity and discussion among many of my peers as to what route our beloved Barbados will take as a result. Saying that you support the decriminalisation or legalisation of marijuana is a controversial statement and would no doubt cause the more conservative of us to cringe.
I am surprised at the amount of people who are in support of such a move by Jamaica and are urging the rest of our region to follow suit.
We are a service-based economy which means that our people are our greatest resource and asset. In a recent discourse, young historian Enam Idrissa exclaimed: “We are essentially creating criminals out of persons who are not criminal. Why is a man being put in the same cell as a murderer or rapist for having a few ounces of weed? That in itself, is criminal.”
This is a reflection of the view that flooding our jails with young, able-bodied Barbadians and maintaining the taxpayers’ high bill may be both unreasonable and uneconomical. One can only ponder whether Government would save money in prison costs and prohibitive measures by legalising marijuana.
Harsh economic times
A catch-22 has been highlighted in this instance. If it can be proven that government collects more revenue in drug-affiliated fines than it spends on prohibitive measures, then this argument provides less incentive for our Government to decriminalise or legalise marijuana.
Many people brought a very business-focused argument in support of decriminalising marijuana and have seen it as an opportunity for our country in such harsh economic times.
The marijuana trade is a billion dollar industry and exotic strains of marijuana are coveted globally. It has been proposed that since Barbados is proficient at creating and marketing niche brands and niche markets, we as a country need to make bold first steps in taking this opportunity as opposed to adopting a wait-and-see approach and be laggers on the innovation curve.
There are many by-products of marijuana. Cannabis hemp has been cited to produce about
5 000 textile products, for example. When supporters compared marijuana to sugar cane as a viable economic earner, sugar cane paled in contrast.
Regulatory procedures
The issue of crime as it correlates with the drug trade is an interesting one. There are varying views on whether crime will increase or decrease with a change in legislation.
It was the president of the Barbados Economics Society, Jeremy Stephen, who likened this instance to affiliated crime in the Great Depression when alcohol was heavily criminalised. Perhaps a great way to address this issue of crime is via regulation with decriminalisation and legalisation.
Having sound regulatory procedures would assist in legitimising aspects of the operations and keep elements “above board”. Decriminalisation and legalisation also open more options for dispute resolution. Issues would more likely be addressed in a civil lawsuit or more conventional ways of resolving disputes and may assist with a decrease in violent, drug-associated crimes.
Although alcohol and tobacco consumption are viewed medically as more harmful than the use of marijuana, I believe that the negative side effects of marijuana should not be underplayed if any amendment to our legislation should take place.
My concern was met by the proposal that a greater effort with public education and involvement by the medical profession in such an initiative would appropriately handle this matter.
Whether Barbados will eventually follow the examples of Colorado, Uruguay and Jamaica is an answer that only time will reveal.
At present, although no religious book or practice denounces the use of marijuana, there is a stigma attached to its use and acceptance. In such a conservative and cautious society as ours, I would not expect this development in the near future. Curb your anticipation, supporters.
