#BTColumn – Government muddled Cannabis issue

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by this author are their own and do not represent the official position of the Barbados Today.

by Michael Headley

In a Barbados TODAY September 19 article, under the headline, Health official against recreational use of cannabis, David Leacock, Director of the Psychiatric Hospital stated that no one should be using any type of narcotic drug, and that marijuana posed a risk to the health of those who use it.

He believed that it should only be used for medicinal purposes. David Leacock was responding to the proposal, made during the September 15th Throne speech, delivered by Governor-General, Dame Sandra Mason, that a new law would be coming that would decriminalize the possession of 14 grams, or less, of cannabis.

In the same article, the State-run National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA) also anticipated an increase in the number of people, who would be seeking counselling,
as a result of this new law. And a law enforcement official described this new law as a farce that would create more zombies and gang warfare.

“Survey finds average age of first drug-use is between seven and eight’ was an article by Anesta Henry (Barbados TODAY 9/19/20) which referred to the findings
of a soon-to-be released National Primary School Survey 2020.

In it, Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams said that the report revealed that family and friends are the most common drug source for students in classes three and four. And Dr. Jonathan Yearwood, NCSA’s Deputy Director, emphasized the need to give key information on the harms of drug use, through projects like Safeguarding
Our Future Today (SOFT).

With the local experts fearing the worst, when this new “cannabis (Pot/Marijuana) law” is enacted, it’s baffling why the government, whose campaign theme centered around “caring”, would even take such a risk, that could expose vulnerable youth to this drug.

Some experts have also labelled marijuanaa starter drug.In his book, “Tell Your Children”, award-winning author AlexBerenson and a former New York Times reporter, debunks the myths of the virtues of marijuana and how its use is linked to opiate and cocaine use.

According to him this led to the opiate epidemic in the United States (U S) and Canada since 2008,Berenson also highlighted the psychotic episodes of the chemical, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is responsible for the high in marijuana-psychosis brings violence.

Currently, many countries are coping with adverse medical, economic and social problems associated with the addiction to alcohol and tobacco.

Why should a caring Government, relax drug arrests, for small quantities of the drug, thereby opening up a potential Pandora’s box, that could eventually lead to addiction? What safeguards are in place to prevent children from experimenting with pot at a tender age?

When their young brains, and minds are affected negatively, is the government prepared to help with medical, psychiatric and financialcare?

How do you stop the illegal drug pushers from getting children hooked early, by giving them numerous amounts of small “legal” quantities?

How will law enforcement do their jobs, effectively, in a confused environment? And some young people, with promising academic and sporting careers, may be prohibited from opportunities in the international market, if their bodies are hosts to cannabis, and they fail drug tests.

Education and continued enforcement, of current laws, should be the goal of a “caring” Government.

Not enforcing the law, to the illegal use of 14 grams or less, of Cannabis, may be interpreted, by some, as giving tacit approval to drug use.

However, using cannabis, for medicinal use only, should be pursued.

As recorded in Luke 12:48, it is written “To whom much is given much will be required’. The resounding victory, at the last election, is not a mandate to ignore the experts, who vehemently oppose using narcotic drugs indiscriminately.

Michael Headley
Brooklyn, New York