From youthful ‘bliss’ to ‘Cannabliss’

The announcement by the Medical Cannabis Authority that it is to hold a “Cannabliss” Festival in November must make us reflect, irrespective of our views on cannabis or the Cannabis Authority, how far we have come in the past 50 years or so.

A half a century ago, marijuana was regarded in the same light as such dangerous drugs like cocaine and its crack derivative are viewed today. There was even a Police squad which seemed to specialize in tracking down suspected Ganja sellers, producers and even consumers of small amounts. A heavy hand it was that came down on these people, assumed “guilty” even before proven so. Police raids, even in the wee hours of the morning, arrests and beatings were common fare. Because much of the Ganja consumed was imported from Trinidad on the weekly vessels, the police squad even spent their

Thursday nights keeping tabs on these vessels, ready to pounce on suspects.

There was a whole social apparatus in support-intolerant magistrates, frantic parents and firebrand preachers all added to this atmosphere of repression against this apparent scourge which was supposed to bring about the destruction of our God-fearing society.

The colonial legacy had done a good job on us, we were neither listening nor seeking the truth. It was lost on us that the same colonial authorities had, in the 19th century, waged war on China to ensure British control over the opium trade. On the other hand, the youth of the era, given the growing anti-colonial consciousness sweeping the region, were in search for “truth” and willing to experiment in doing so. Not all of them pursued a positive approach and many, blissfully unaware of the totality of the situation, fell into the cracks.

But the search for truth exposed glaring contradictions, and in spite of the repression, as awareness increased and knowledge expanded, the disinformation became glaring. As the Rastafarian movement grew, so did more enlightened attitudes towards cannabis.

This has resulted in a rollback of social attitudes and legal restrictions and a growing acceptance of marijuana not as a dangerous drug smoked by social misfits, but for its proven medical benefits. Laws have been revised or repealed and a legal industry endorsed. All this has helped to bring about positive social change in terms of the cessation of repression, an almost total end to the internecine warfare waged in “the hills” among rapacious elements resulting in several deaths and the “disappearance” of some at sea and in the hills.

At the same time, we have witnessed an incomparable growth of the real drug danger, the cocaine trade with all its murderous connections for which our society continues to pay a heavy price. While we were “fighting down” Ganja, cocaine and other dangerous drugs were establishing a foothold. These are billion-dollar connections with serious implications for our society. We now have huge social problems that are not easily solved. The get-rich-quick mentality which permeates all sectors of our society and is strongly rooted in the upper echelons, presents a formidable enemy in our midst. So, it is a positive sign that we have reached the stage where we can organize a cannabis festival, with “bliss”. Still every care and attention must be paid to our approach to this enterprise, to ensure that it is properly administered and that equal opportunities are open

to traditional producers. We must never forget the suffering which was endured to take us to this stage of “bliss”, and the many

wrongs which may never be righted. We have a responsibility to

get it right!