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Medical Association of Jamaica
SUBMISSION TO THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON GANJA
The Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ) conducted a panel discussion of The Decriminalization of Ganja in Jamaica on March 23, 2000. We write to inform the Commission of the following salient points that we made during the discussion:
Punishment for the use of ganja is disproportionate to the magnitude of the crime. Making criminals out of ganja users has led to abuses of human right.
The USA’s social policy on ganja adopted over 60 years ago was not linked to any scientific research that showed definitively that ganja causes harm.
Alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine are individually more addictive and cause more harm than ganja, yet they may be legally acquired and used in our society, while the purchase and use of ganja is currently illegal
Continued use of ganja may cause habituation, but has not been demonstrated to lead to addiction.
Ganja is not a harmless substance. It has psycho-active effects, and may cause problems with memory, distortion of sight, sound, and touch, impaired coordination, and increased heart rate. Users of ganja my also have difficulty in concentrating, and may suffer the long-term consequences of smoking. The foregoing are particularly problematic for adolescents and young people undergoing prescribed courses of study.
Ganja may also cause problems in persons already experiencing potentially serious illnesses. Persons having manic-depressive disorders who take ganja might suffer pseudo-schozophrenic changes.
In the light of the forgoing, the Medical Association of Jamaica recommends that:
If the use of ganja is to remain criminalized, similar recommendations should be made for the use of alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine.
If the Commission were to recommend the decriminalization of ganja for personal use in Jamaica (e.g. 2 oz of ganja per person), such use should not trespass on other people’s rights (e.g. others being forced to inhale the smoke from ganja). Accordingly, any personal use should occur in the privacy of people’s homes, and should never occur in public places
Accompanying either of these measures, education of the general public should occur with regard to the possible harms that may occur from the use of ganja, as well as any documented benefits, including extracts that have been used to treat nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, asthma, and glaucoma.
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