It is clear to many persons that since we have lost the battle against drugs, we now wish to sanctify that loss.
With a murder rate galloping to 500, communities are swimming in fear and blood.
We should not pass laws to make our vulnerable teens and youth drown in that blood. It appears that the longer we live, the less we learn.
The October 19-25, 2019 edition of The Economist Journal should teach us some lessons, if we are willing to learn.
It has highlighted the impact of smoking marijuana on pregnant women and the unborn. The researchers suggest that prenatal cannabis exposure predisposes people to hyperactivity, impulsivity, loss of attention, psychosis and increased sensitivity to drugs and abuse.
What about the Jamaican experiment with decriminalisation?
According to the Minister of Health Dr Christopher Tufton, the results are worrying. There was a 50 per cent jump in marijuana related illnesses since the weed was decriminalised in 2015.
Some as young as 12 years old have been trying the weed in its different forms.
As the Economist opines, “Absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence. If you increase the opportunities, you increase the usage.”
And by the way, legal does not mean harmless. We should invest significant resources in motivating youth to make healthy lifestyle choices.