HERE in Trinidad and Tobago, people have been taking "pot" shots at university professor and Independent Senator, Dr Kenneth (Ken) Ramchand, for advocating the decriminalisation of marijuana. The poor professor was subjected to considerable verbal abuse for admitting to substance abuse during his sojourn as a student enjoying the heights of the Mona Campus in Jamaica. Some critics considered him a "naughty" professor for having used the drug. Others think he is a "nutty" professor for admitting, in the Senate, that he had used pot. There are others yet again who consider him a "potty" professor, not so much because of his association with the illegal substance, but because of his claims about its beneficial effects. They feel that his arguments on behalf of making the drug legal belong to the receptacle of that name. [continues 771 words]
I DIDN'T watch The Human Body the first night it aired on TV6. But when I heard they were repeating the first episode due to public demand, I tuned in to see what had so fascinated viewers. It wasn't the naked people, who are obviously chosen for their plainness. But the series is extremely well-done and, what is more important, scientifically up-to-date. In this land where superstition is so pervasive, and where pleasure in knowledge seems virtually non-existent, I was frankly surprised that a series like The Human Body should be aired at all. That some people were interested enough to call in to ask for a repeat was even more surprising. [continues 706 words]
"Thank God It's Friday" Professor Ken Ramchand deserves special recognition for being both caring and courageous enough to admit to having smoked marijuana as part of his recommendation to the Senate that possession of the drug for medicinal purposes be decriminalised; I just can't decide whether he should get the Trinity Cross or a big fat Bob Marley spliff. Now, because I will shortly be taking the piss out of the rest of our Members of Parliament, I want to say three serious things unequivocally. [continues 813 words]
PROF Kenneth Ramchand must have felt confident enough to bet that his submission, made during last week's debate on the Dangerous Drugs Bill, would evoke informed and meaningful discussion. Instead, he discovered that Parliament is not necessarily a place in which you gamble on enlightenment. Consequently, making brave suggestions about decriminalising marijuana use is rendered risky. Judging from remarks made by fellow Senators, Prof Ramchand may have done little more than fuel speculation that his most recent encounter with the herb was not while studying in Jamaica, but more likely in the Chamber's tea-room, just prior to Tuesday's sitting. [continues 732 words]
