Magazine Time, August 20. An article in it explains how much of the continent has decriminalized cannabis. How much time the police can now spend on serious crime. How the drug use in general has dropped over the last decade. How in the UK plans are in the make to sell cannabis in licensed shops for off-premise use, just like liquor, health warnings and all. It will be procured from licensed growers. It will hurt drug syndicates and help make dope simply boring. The same reasons the Swiss gave for a new law that permits the legal production of marijuana for residents use. The United States policy is not likely to change soon, as it is anchored in legal battles, privatized prison industry, a surplus of lawyers and a justice system that needs as many clients and victims as possible. Canada, though, has a more open vision and there the cannabis is soon to be decriminalized. Former Prime Minister Joe Clark, now leader of the opposition conservatives, is all for it, just like the Canadian Bar Association, The Royal Mounted Police and more. It is estimated that 150.000 people harvest 4 billion dollars a year from the marijuana trade from Canada to strict anti-dope USA. Plans are drawn up to open coffee shops, Holland style, along the border, proffering high-quality weed to go in vacuum sealed bags.
Jamaica has been told by a spokesperson from the American embassy that the USA is not happy with the local ideas to legalize pot. The European reality is likely to have more influence on Jamaica then the United States prison policy- Respect for personal freedom seems to be non existent in the USA. As the drug trade is now in the hands of criminal drug syndicates and the legalizing will take it away from them, it is the criminals that scream foul. They will see their livelihood go in no time when the governments take over supplying citizens legally priced quality weed. One wonders why the USA holds on the invincible struggle, refusing its people the substance that they ask for. As the demand for drugs is there, nothing will stop it from coming.
Smart governments take the drug trade in their own hands, warnings, taxes, controls and all. When will the Executive Council condone the use of cannabis officially on St. Maarten, as it has done with prostitution, so that locals and visitors can smoke their spliff in the knowledge that they are no part of the crime, American style here on Holiday Island?
Friendly Island, friendly people, friendly laws. Isn't that what the tourists come for?
The USA in recession, the Euro is gaining power; European politics are showing the world that Holland’s example of 25 years of tolerance was the right way to go. Now we wait to see when our politicians admit that they are informed and act in harmony with modern times.
