The Case for Decriminalization of Marijuana Use in Jamaica

To the Editor,

The decriminalization of ganja for recreational and medicinal use is a

growing phenomenon in the developed world. It is no secret that ganja is used by a

significant portion of the American public. In fact, almost half the states in the US

have approved it for medicinal use, decriminalized it for recreational use, or

completely legalized it. Advocates of relaxed laws on ganja consumption argue that

legalizing the drug would free untold sums used to prosecute users, provide several

millions in tax income, provide a means of export income and significantly increase

police and judicial resources in more important areas. Opponents argue that

decriminalization will increased crime, and open the door to the abuse of more

hazardous drugs. It is generally accepted that there is inconclusive evidence to

support the opinion that ganja is toxic or medically dangerous. To the contrary,

there are large volumes of work which supports the benefits of the drug in treating

chronic non-cancerous pain, or vomiting and nausea caused by chemotherapy

drugs, the treating symptoms of AIDS patients, treating symptoms of depression and

lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) in people with glaucoma. In addition, it is a well

known fact that Jamaican marijuana is regarded internationally as being of an

exceedingly high quality – perhaps the best in the world and that increasingly large

numbers of tourists are coming to the island in hopes of acquiring the product.

Now given that there is no evidence of scientific evidence of any acceptable

kind to support the view that ganja is a toxic or dangerous drug and given the fact

that it is used by an exceeding majority of our own people, we feel that

decriminalization of the drug would have strong salutary effects both of the

economy and society as a whole. The salutary effects of decriminalization

contradict the fallacies that the use of ganja is in some way or the other inherently

linked to criminality and the use of ganja leads directly to addiction to dangerous

and harmful drugs.

The first fallacy is a statement which is de facto true – the use of ganja is

positively linked to crime. But, it is true only because the law as it stands makes it a

criminal offense to use this plant. In spite of the existence of this law, more and

more Jamaicans are using the drug, converting more and more of our citizens into

criminals. And because this is the case, if one is already criminalized by a law which

one does not accept this tends to lead more and more users of the plant who have

been branded as criminals to become actual criminals – not because of the of the

desire to commit a ‘moral depravity’, but simply out of the fact that they have

already been stigmatized to the point where they are unable to obtain jobs and are

viewed as dangerous and hostile by allegedly more responsible non-users. In cases

where personality disorders have been linked to the use of the drug, the linkage is

due not to the effects of the drug itself, but to a socio-legal situation which

contradicts a value habit – a habit which the individual can see no moral justification

for changing and, also as well, because the unjustly criminalized individual often

finds it impossible to secure jobs and resources which would lead to the realization

of any of his ambitions and aspirations. The cumulative burdens which the ganja

stigmatized person is forced to carry often leads to severe tensions, depressions,

guilt-feelings and generally to the manifestation of various forms of personality

disorders.

There is therefore strong evidence to show that it is not the use of marijuana

which is dangerous, but that the danger comes from the illegality which is attached

to the use of the drug. Finally, far from leading to biological addiction or the

progression through chemical (as distinct from socio-legal) factors to the use of

hard drugs, marijuana serves as a tranquillizer of the masses in much the same way

that valium or oxycodone currently serves as the tranquillizer of the middle and

upper classes in our nation. Without access to this tranquillizer there is reason to

believe that the use of hard drugs would develop among Jamaicans – a situation that

unfortunately on the rise accounted in the estimated 15,000 cocaine users in the

island.

We believe that we have presented a very strong case for the

decriminalization of marijuana for use in small quantities. We believe that we have

also shown how this decriminalization would serve to produce concrete benefits not

just for the economy, but the society as a whole. In terms of the economy, tourism

would be the sector which derives the most direct and immediate benefits, along

with our recommendation to decriminalize.

Authors:

Retired Senior Lecturer in the UWI Department of Government – Louis Lindsay

Undergraduate at Amherst College – Andrew Lindsay

*This subject is discussed in full in Louis Lindsay’s “Personality Disorders Among

the Jamaican Working Class.” (Institute of Social and Economic Research, 1977)