Lemme Smoke My Ish Though!

Clifford been my dream date forever now.

Why was marijuana criminalized in the first place?

We as a society (Barbados) aren't ready for the decriminalization of marijuana...

We've been living in the folds of propaganda, influencing us to believe that marijuana itself is a demonic drug, that encourages negative social and health related behaviors in its users.

Many persons over the age of 30 still believe if you consume marijuana (in the most popular way of smoking it) you instantly become a violent criminal minus control of your senses and prone to terrorize everyone you come into contact with, simply because the drug influences you to be the worst you can be.

The perception that you will sell all your furniture, your body and your mother to get yourself your next fix of marijuana is STILL rampant and being taught as a method of prevention of drug abuse.

The idea that weed is a gateway drug to other, harder, more dangerous drugs is still being peddled to the ignorant masses, scared to look for information because let's face it, information is dangerous in large doses, in the hands of ignorant men.

Here are a few facts about Cannabis: 

Cannabis, is a psychotropic drug. Meaning it alters brain functions, other such drugs include Ativan, Xanax, Zoloft and Prozac.

In Barbados the most easily acquired form of Cannabis is Marijuana, the dried plant form that is smoked.

There are two main strains of Cannabis (there are more but let's keep it simple), Cannabis Sativa, and Cannabis Indica. They have varying effects on the consumer.


Those effects include:

• an altered state of consciousness. The user may feel "high", very happy, euphoric, relaxed, sociable and uninhibited.

• distorted perceptions of time and space. The user may feel more sensitive to things around them, and may also experience a more vivid sense of taste, sight, smell and hearing.

• increased pulse and heart rate, bloodshot eyes, dilated pupils, and often increased appetite.

• impaired coordination and concentration, making activities such as driving a car or operating machinery difficult and dangerous.

• negative experiences, such as anxiousness, panic, self-consciousness and paranoid thoughts.

Ironic as it is, Cannabis is still a Schedule 1 drug, which means the US based organization, the DEA, Drug Enforcement Administration, considers it one of the most dangerous drugs, in terms of addictive quality, and damage to individuals who use it. It joins LSD, and Heroine on that tier.

Why is that ironic? Well, because it's currently legal in over 20 states listed as follows:

Here are states with legal recreational marijuana: 

1. Alaska

2. Colorado

3. Oregon 

4. Washington 

Willie Nelson... America's poster Uncle.

Here are states with medical marijuana: 

1. Alaska

2. Arizona

3. California

4. Colorado

5. Connecticut

6. Delaware

7. Hawaii

8. Illinois

9. Maine

10. Maryland

11. Massachusetts 

12. Michigan

13. Minnesota

14. Montana

15. Nevada

16. New Hampshire

17. New Jersey

18. New Mexico

19. New York

20. Oregon 

21. Pennsylvania 

22. Rhode Island

23. Vermont

24. Washington

It's legal (with medical permit) in half the states, in the country that originally ordered it a dangerous substance, while that country maintains its highly xenophobic bias towards lower class, African American, Caribbean and Latin American offenders, caught with questionable amounts of the drug, often resulting in harsh terms of incarceration, heavy fines and deportation.

Anyhow, enough about America, it's clear that the government of the USA is still heavily biased and bathed in contradiction regarding Cannabis, as American scientists, doctors, patients and citizens who casually use the drug stay proving that the DEA's stance in refusing to demote Cannabis from Schedule 1 is in no way based on scientific evidence of it being any more dangerous than say over the counter drugs used to suppress coughs and manage colds, it's clear that the war on Marijuana is actually a war on class and colour, which is proven every time a high profile white male is revealed to have used the drug purely for recreation, and the major response from the higher ups stays within the circles of "boys will be boys" and "all kids go through a rebellious phase", but the other classes and colours are quickly branded as thugs, and social nuisances, by those same voices.

Don't Do The Marijuanas, It Will Turn Your Skin Funny.

Let's get back to this little island, Barbados.

On August 17th 2016, a 16 year old went before the court, his charge?

He was caught with marijuana. street value of $3, consequentially he was placed on $2000 bail, to return to court to find out his fate.

$3 in weed.

Not even $30, but $3.

It was weighed at two grammes, and is worth $3. He is 16, In my opinion, he should not be smoking that, or even in possession of the drug independently, he is too young, but, I wonder if he would have been charged if thy caught him with a Guinness, or a pack of cigarettes?

In my opinion that was a waste of the court's time, and the fine is obscene, not to mention, who the hell is selling that kind of weed so cheap? Are we even sure that's not just funky oregano???

Okay, two days later, an adult on a pleasure cruise was caught with $16 of the same substance. He was fined $1200, BY THE SAME MAGISTRATE.

Now, pardon me for seeming crude, but WHAT THE EVER LOVING FUCK THOUGH!!

You COMFORTABLY give a teenager a damn charge sheet, put their parent in whatever financial situation to post a bond/bail for $3 in chipwood.

Yeah, I'll let y'all think about that for a minute.

At some point, the powers that be in Barbados will HAVE to look at the fact that the law, and many who are tasked to uphold it, are asses. Around that same time, we will see them grow a backbone and stand up to good old Uncle Sam about his hypocrisy, while adjusting our own laws to encourage education rather than ignorance.

I can never understand how a country based on a culture of rum, minus any real control and protection against abuse, also, little to no legal consequence for being drunk, and doing anything from driving to driving with passengers, heck, there's no real legal limit to the amount of alcohol one can consume in Barbados, and there is no way to measure it, but, I digress, I can never understand how a country based on a culture of rum, can remain so ignorant to the value of decriminalizing a substance that they cannot prove is linked to misinformation used in the smear campaign and propaganda from 40 years ago, in racist USA.




Sources include: 

http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/drug-facts/cannabis
https://www.drugs.com/illicit/cannabis.html

And other sites.