This is the story of seven items/substances. In order to reduce bias, we will refer to them simply as Item 1, Item 2, Item 3, Item 4, Item 5, Item 6 and Item 7. I’ll illustrate with United States (US) statistics since they are more readily available, but the arguments apply to all countries. The numbers should be viewed as representative, not absolute since different sources give different figures. As you read, see if you can figure out what these items are.
Item 1 is available in every household, usually in large numbers (dozens). We all know of cases where it was used to injure/kill someone. Every year, tens of thousands are killed worldwide by it, many more injured. Item 1 is legal.
Item 2 is used to kill/injure people every day. In 2016, the number of deaths from Item 2 was 37,200 in the US and about 250,000 worldwide. The number of people seriously injured by it is much higher. It is controlled, but legal.
Item 3 kills about 40,000 per year in the US alone. In T&T, it is about 200 per year. Worldwide, over 3,000 die per day from using this item. Not only is it legal, but it’s also a symbol of the good life.
Item 4 kills about 88,000 per year in the US and about three million worldwide. It can be bought on almost any street (sometimes, several locations per street) in T&T. When combined with Item 3, it can be deadly. It’s very legal—local manufacturers have even won awards for producing it.
Item 5 kills about 480,000 per year in the US and about six million worldwide. For over 50 years, its manufacturers denied that it was dangerous to our health but, eventually, were forced to admit the truth. It can be bought in the same places as Item 4. It's legal, too.
Item 6, when used as directed, is conservatively estimated to kill 106,000 per year in the US alone. That is 290 per day! When misused (contrary to directions) a similar number of people die. Not only is this item legal, but it also makes trillions of dollars for its manufacturers and most countries spend a large chunk of their budget buying it.
Then there’s Item 7. For its entire history, going back at least 10,000 years, it has been responsible for a total of zero deaths. No one has ever died from its use or abuse. And, surprise, surprise, this item is illegal. Yes, I know–it defies all logic and common sense!
Based purely on their danger to human life, Items 1 to 6—knives, guns, cars, alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceutical drugs—should be illegal and Item 7 (cannabis) legal. But the reverse is true. Why?
One reason is that they are judged differently. While knives, guns, cars, et al have been responsible for many deaths, they do have their benefits. Governments judge that the benefits outweigh the dangers, so they are legal. If they were judged solely by the worst they can do, they would be illegal.
But even if we judge cannabis by the worst it can do (getting someone high/addicted) that is hardly a reason to make it illegal. After all, people get even more addicted to alcohol, tobacco, legal drugs and gambling (Play Whe). No, cannabis became illegal in the US in the late 1930s because of business interests (eg, Hearst, DuPont) that could not compete fairly with superior cannabis products (eg, hemp paper and paint). But cannabis is a plant of mother nature (and, hence, cannot be patented) that has more benefits and uses than any other.
The US Pharmacopoeia listed cannabis as the primary medicine for more than 100 different illnesses or diseases until 1937. It can be used to treat cancer, glaucoma, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Aids, chronic pain, rheumatic diseases, menstrual cramps, labour pains, asthma, insomnia, and tinnitus, among many others. Non-medical uses include making paper, rope, fabrics, textiles (for clothing, towels, bed sheets, drapes, etc.) I cringe every time I hear the police boast how many thousands of plants they have destroyed. How wasteful—we will look back and wonder how we could have been so foolish.
Remember when "Whe Whe" was illegal? The State legalised it as Play Whe, making millions from it. The same would happen with cannabis. I don't think anyone doubts that we have the expertise to produce high-quality cannabis products. I can see us earning foreign exchange by exporting both products and expertise. Everyone will benefit, provided steps are taken to ensure quality and high standards, for both medical and recreational cannabis.
Medical cannabis has been legal in Canada since 2001. On October 17 it became the second country (after Uruguay in 2013) to legalise recreational cannabis. It would be nice for T&T to win the bronze medal. Cannabis can be our new oil. But the time to act is now.
Noel Kalicharan