MOSES Nagamootoo, in his intended capacity of AFC’s presidential candidate, has strongly advocated the fact that his party would legalize marijuana use. He was making a passionate appeal to the mainly youthful section of the population as well as to other ardent users and abusers of the drug to vote for them.

The campaign slogan is, ‘you put us in office and we will legalize it’. This impassioned plea that we are going to decriminalize, legalize, or what have you, ganja, is the latest cry for votes. The AFC and Nagamootoo is on the campaign trail wooing voters with this call.
How successful this solicitation campaign will be is anybody’s guess. However, let’s just pause for a moment to analyse how we’ve arrived at this juncture. In the first place, the people of Guyana have seen a dramatic turn of events on the political landscape. Persons who were once enemies are now close friends and associates, ‘comrades’ once again. I speak of bitter enemies, persons who were accused of crimes such as torture and murder, yet these individuals and groups are in one combined whole, moving around in apparent unity. It is a marriage of convenience that is very obvious for all to see. Politics do make strange bedfellows! So, the next convenient strategy is to appeal to drug users out there. From marriage of convenience to mass appeal to decriminalize ganja, where will it end?

And who said that smoking weed is good for your health? The mere fact that these people want to “smoke” ganja is indicative of fostering poor health. Smoking is dangerous to one’s health; so why push for something that is injurious to health? My understanding of going easy on ganja is that it is an ethno-medicine, if imbibed as a warm beverage, and is a cure for asthma and other heart ailment. It is not for smoking…period. But it comes back to the point, say anything for the vote.

How the latest marijuana crusade will translate into actual votes is minimum at best. With that glaring deception fostered by the combined Opposition ever before the people, I do not think the marijuana madness will make any headway.

NEIL ADAMS