Love drug, beans, rolls, whatever you may want to call it, Jamaica is caught up in ecstasy. Ecstasy is a man-made drug which acts as a stimulant. Common street names include XTC, beans, rolls, love drug and Adam. It is a popular recreational drug and its use has grown over the past 10 years. Ecstasy is certainly available here in Jamaica. Use of the drug is reported by dancers, sex workers and persons who 'hang out' at night clubs or by those who like to be up and around at nights. The police have also reported an increase in the seizure of this drug. [continues 330 words]
THERE IS a long-standing debate as to whether cannabis (ganja) use causes persons to become mad. I have deliberately avoided this discussion but almost every day, as a mental health professional, I am confronted with the issue. How extensive is cannabis use in Jamaica? The last survey, done in 1997 among students in school, indicates that one-third of students 'have ever used cannabis in one form or other over a lifetime'. In terms of recent use (use in the past 30 days) only 10 per cent of students admitted to this. [continues 429 words]
GANJA IS the Indian word for cannabis, known also as marijuana, pot, weed and by over 200 other slang terms. It is derived from the hemp plant Cannabis Sativa which has been known and used by mankind for centuries. It was introduced into Jamaica by East Indians about 1845. Ganja contains 400 known chemical substances, of these 400 chemicals only 70 are unique to the cannabis plant. These 70 chemicals are referred to as cannabinoids. Delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinoids (THC) is the main active ingredient in ganja. [continues 644 words]
