Just as we thought nothing was happening on the Legalize Ganja front, Minister of Justice Mark Golding surprised Jamaica on September 23 with a Parliamentary announcement that Cabinet has approved his proposals for legislation to make possession of two ounces or less of ganja a non-arrestable, ticketable infraction that does not result in a criminal record; to align the treatment of the smoking of ganja with the recent Public Health regulations that prohibit smoking in public spaces; to allow for the possession and use of ganja for religious purposes; to allow for the possession and use of ganja for therapeutic purposes as prescribed by a medical practitioner, and to enable approved scientific research.
The Minister announced that with Cabinet approval now in place, drafting instructions will shortly go to the Legislation Committee of Cabinet for review, after which it will be taken to Cabinet for approval to be tabled in Parliament before the end of the year.
AMENDING THE DANGEROUS DRUGS ACT However, the Dangerous Drugs Act will have to be amended, bearing in mind that Jamaica is still governed by the 1961 United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs that prohibits cultivation and possession. Golding promises to amend the Dangerous Drugs Act by the end of the year to permit the cultivation, possession, import, export, transportation, manufacture, sale, possession and distribution of ganja for medical and scientific purposes under license, as well as establishment of a Licensing Authority to govern the licensing processes for participation in the medicinal ganja industry, and a public education campaign to ensure the changes in the law are understood and accepted.
Amending the international treaty needs public pressure and the Minister advises that Jamaica’s efforts to change the UN Single Convention MUST come through pressure from the Jamaican people. The voice of the people must be heard loudly and internationally to make this happen, so activists in all corners of the legalization campaign must work hard to show the changes Jamaica wants come from the people, not just from the government.
Minister Mark Golding & Ras IyahV
WHGFA APPROVES Westmoreland Hemp and Ganja Farmers Association (WHGFA) Leader Ras Iyah V was among the ganja activists delighted with the announcement of legislation proposed, and congratulated Justice Minister Mark Golding in very positive terms, saying: “The WHGFA thanks the Justice Minister for his courage and staying true to his words. This is another step in the right direction as we keep the fire burning.”
The WHGFA is the most active group of Ganja farmers, based as they are in the world-famous ganja-growing Parish and having started early to organize and register their farmers. They report several positive meetings with the Minister at which they have explained the position of their members, as well as to actively press for the necessary reforms. At the recent monthly meeting, WHGFA’s leaders expressed optimism that the Minister’s steps to legalization will be completed by the end of 2014 as promised, as they intend to proceed with plans to hold a major seminar and cultural event in May 2015 at which all aspects of ganja production will be discussed and the judging of Jamaica’s first Cannabis Cup will take place.
The WHGFA has high hopes of creating an annual event that will celebrate Jamaica’s renowned reputation as the home of the world’s best ganja, while at the same time enhancing and expanding the research and production of Jamaica’s medical marijuana industry. Accordingly, the WHGFA has Petitioned the Government for non-enforcement of the Ganja Laws in Westmoreland so as to enable growers to freely produce the best ganja possible for the occasion. This event, which is receiving positive interest from world-famous ganja magazine HIGH TIMES, will bring hundreds of international guests to fill Negril’s hotel rooms and to buy and sell ganja products of all kinds.
WIPE THE RECORDS A key aspect of Minister Golding’s Parliamentary statement was the assurance of the wiping of the records of those convicted of possessing small amounts of ganja – a demand that formed the major basis of the Jamaica People’s Cannabis Development Council’s WIPE THE RECORDS Petition. The death of Mario Deane on Independence Day after imprisonment for smoking a ganja spliff, created a national outrage that made him a sacrifice on the altar of Jamaica’s ganja laws.
The Minister of National Security had to step into the furore that attracted international legal activists and advise his Police force that though the law was not yet passed, they should act on Government’s intention to finally make possession of small amounts of ganja a ticketable offense, without arrest or imprisonment. However, no details have yet been announced of how one’s record can be wiped, whether this will be automatic or how and where one may apply for such.
Josh Stanley & patient Charlotte
MEDICAL MARIJUANA RESEARCH Though Jamaica is ranked second in the category of attractiveness in the 2014 Medical Tourism Index (MTI) released mid-September, the development of Jamaica’s medical marijuana industry is as yet unclear. The University of the West Indies and the Scientific Research Council have signed Memoranda of Understanding with US, Israeli and Canadian companies, including Josh Stanley who developed the Charlotte’s Web strain for young epileptics, but as yet there is no announcement of how private companies will do business. We have been informed that applicants will be invited to register companies that intend to research, develop and produce medical marijuana, but the methodology is yet to come for those impatient to begin.
As a GLEANER Editorial reminded us: “Four decades ago, Jamaican scientists were at the forefront of research on the medicinal use of ganja. They developed a drug for glaucoma, among others. Unfortunately, weak institutional arrangements and the absence of a clear national policy contributed to a lag, reversal even, of these efforts. The upshot – Jamaica lost its advantage of being first and the marketing advantage of the perception of having the world’s most potent ganja. This kind of market positioning will not be easy to claw back, especially in the face of a growing awareness of the potential economic and scientific advantage of marijuana, including in the United States…”
INTERNATIONAL ENTREPRENEURS US companies are ready to enter Jamaica’s ganja business. Already a Colorado-based company has announced a 50% partnership with a group of Jamaicans to establish a marijuana medical research lab in Kingston to focus on “advancing the use of cannabis in medical therapies through bio-medical and pharmaceutical research and development, within Jamaica to position the company to benefit from legislation that is expected to decriminalize marijuana for medical purposes by the end of the year.”
The company says it hopes to benefit from the variety of strains of ganja available in Jamaica, declaring it brings not only an extensive knowledge of the cannabis plant and its properties, saying their ability “…to leverage technology and incorporate systems within the breeding process will be invaluable as they pursue the vast opportunities here in Jamaica for licensing their seed-to-sale business model and receive a percentage of their gross revenues as their fees, offering to provide training, staffing services and the right locations for cultivation and production of activated oils, smokable concentrates, infused products, topical lotions, pills, and sublingual transdermal patches, among other products”.
This announcement raised widespread alarm among concerned Jamaicans, whose Future Growers Association says it is determined to see that all ganja development companies are majority owned by Jamaicans. WHGFA’s Kubba Pringle commented on Facebook: “This is not Bauxite, Sugar cane, Coffee,Tourism and all those other stuff that our leaders sold. What we have is much greater than money can buy, but to ensure that the Farmers and Grassroots people benefit, we want the labs in the same areas where the Herbs is grown. Bring all the machines and Scientists here, so where the Herbs is produced everyone can benefit and the Country grow. We especially in Westmoreland will not be sending our Ganja away, the finished product will have to be made in Jamaica.”
As Jamaica awaits new details and the promised new legislation, the legalization campaign continues and the struggle is not yet over. But one thing is certain, as the RASTA Nyabinghi chant goes: “The hotter the battle, the sweeter the victory.” Let us keep the pressure up.
(c) Barbara Makeda Blake Hannah
Through Red, Gold, Green Spectacles 