Open letter to the Minister of Health on legalization of marijuana

Dear Senator: There is a saying that where there is smoke, it often means there is fire. I forgot to tune in to the Hitz talk programme this past Sunday, but this is my ‘two cents’ contribution to the debate surrounding the issue, which is too important to disregard. All the world seems to have become buzzed in some way by this topic and I pray it is not because of the said smoke.{{more}} Sadly, most of the persons who advocate for marijuana use and legalization do not consider all sides – the pros, as well as the cons. I could appreciate why Dr Gonsalves, as Minister of Finance, would be inclined to have it serve a revenue generating purpose, and why some others also follow this vein. However, not all money is good money, which I’m sure many of us could appreciate.

As a plant, marijuana has some health benefits, but, as with any herb, it has obvious adverse effects if misused or abused. This is so for a lot of things that could be termed “good”. CNN recently ran a report by Dr Sanjay Gupta (who I believe to be a reputable health informant) that while there are seen to be some definite benefits in certain conditions being treated with marijuana, its use also retards the development of the brain in young persons, and contributes to erratic or aggressive behaviours and impaired judgment in many persons. When one ‘lights up a joint’, you may actually be setting fire to the brain in some form or other.

Further, to contrast marijuana with bananas is not actually comparing the same issue, is it? Growing bananas contributes to helping increase the food supply, while cultivating marijuana may only be aiding some people with particular health conditions, besides providing recreation for those who choose to be so engaged. I believe that despite the market being more competitive than in years gone by, we can still have a part of it, if our quality is up to the necessary standard.

I couldn’t see how contributing to such a fundamental element as reducing the food shortage could be viewed as being solely to serve our nostalgia. How unreasonable.

If we legalize marijuana for financial considerations, we must be willing to consider what category of drug dealers or peddlers we might actually be placing the suppliers in, as revenue generated by and from this source may not necessarily turn out to be such a good form in the long run.

Rizpah Steward