Pubdate: Tue, 04 Sep 2001
Source: Financial Times (UK)
Section: USA Edition 2, Europe & Latin American, Pg 3
Copyright: The Financial Times Limited 2001
Contact:  http://www.ft.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/154
Author: Canute James
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

US WORRIED AS JAMAICA RETHINKS MARIJUANA STANCE

Washington Has Attacked Moves Towards Decriminalisation, Saying The Island 
Could Be Penalised

Awaiting a bus in the noisy and bustling square at Half Way Tree in 
Kingston, Winston Italman Ramsay takes a philosophical view of a current 
controversy sweeping Jamaica.

"This is prophecy come true," said Mr Ramsay, a Rastafarian, reacting to 
the recommendations of a government-appointed commission that criminal 
penalties be abolished for the use of marijuana in private by adults. "This 
is also common sense."

Mr Ramsay's view conflicts with that of the US administration, which has 
attacked the "decriminalisation" of marijuana and suggested Jamaica could 
be penalised if it followed this course.

The parliament of the English-speaking island of 2.5m people will vote on 
the recommendations of the commission amid indications that use of 
marijuana by adults in private will be allowed. "The recommendations of the 
commission are very persuasive," said P.J. Patterson, the prime minister. 
"Clearly we are not considering making it legal for people to grow, sell 
and to export marijuana. It is for private use and it will have to be 
confined to adults."

Marijuana, known locally as ganja, has long been controversial on the 
island that is a big producer and one of the biggest sources of the drug 
smuggled to the US. On the back of this trade, in recent years the island 
has become an important transhipment point of cocaine being trafficked from 
South America to North America and Europe. The local police have attributed 
a steady increase in organised and violent crime to drug smuggling.

The use of marijuana, including smoking the drug, is a criminal offence in 
the island. There has been frequent tension between the police and Mr 
Ramsay's colleagues in the Rastafarian sect, who regard marijuana smoking 
as part of their religious rites.

"Administering the present laws as they apply to possession and use of 
small quantities of marijuana not only puts an unbearable strain on the 
relationship of the police with the communities, in particular the male 
youth, but also ties up the justice system and the work of the police, who 
could use their time to much greater advantage in the relentless pursuit of 
crack/cocaine trafficking," the commission said.

"The prosecution of simple possession for personal use itself diverts the 
justice system from what ought to be a primary goal, namely the suppression 
of the criminal trafficking in substances, such as crack/cocaine, that are 
ravaging urban and rural communities with addiction and corrupting 
otherwise productive people," it added.

The commission also recommended public education programmes to reduce 
demand, targeting mainly young people, and the intensification of 
interdiction of large-scale marijuana cultivation and trafficking of all 
illegal drugs.

The US has reacted definitively to the commission's recommendations. "The 
US administration opposes the decriminalisation of marijuana use," was the 
blunt reply of Michael Koplovsky, a spokesman for the US embassy in 
Kingston. "The US government will consider Jamaica's adherence to its 
commitments under the 1988 UN Drug Convention when making its determination 
under the annual narcotics certification review."

The US maintains that decriminalisation is not in keeping with Jamaica's 
obligations under a United Nations convention against trafficking in 
narcotics. Jamaican officials say that the implication of the US statement 
is possible de-certification of the island as a country making efforts to 
combat narcotics trafficking.

De-certification could lead to a reduction or suspension of US financial 
assistance to Mr Patterson's economically embattled administration, and 
efforts to similarly reduce assistance from international financial 
institutions such as the World Bank, the officials said.

"If the US government has concerns about the report, it should talk to us 
about it," said Stafford Neil, permanent secretary in the foreign affairs 
ministry. "The Jamaican government has not yet decided whether it will 
accept or reject the recommendations."

In private, however, the official reaction is stronger. The US position is 
regarded by some officials as an unacceptable threat, intended to force the 
country's legislators into following the US's wishes.

"This is a matter that will be decided by the Jamaican parliament and the 
island's sovereign parliament will not be swayed by any external threats," 
a senior government official said. "Jamaica is a major exporter and trading 
in marijuana will continue to be a crime. The US is the major consumer and 
the US should attempt to curb demand at their end."

The opposition is taking a moderate approach. The commission's report 
should not be dismissed, said Oswald Harding, foreign affairs spokesman of 
the main opposition Labour party. Jamaica's international obligations as 
well as delicate relations with the US on the issue would have to be taken 
into consideration, he said.

Attitudes in the debate are conditioned by many influences. Older, 
conservative and strongly religious Jamaicans consider it not such a good 
thing. "My parents say that allowing people to smoke ganja freely is the 
work of the devil," said Sherie McDonald, a 24-year-old Kingston secretary. 
"It does not matter to me. I do not do it but I have friends who smoke at 
home without any problems from the police."

For his part Mr Ramsay, a bartender, regards the move towards 
decriminalisation as "a great victory for religious freedom".
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MAP posted-by: Beth