Jamaica rolls out campaign to debunk cannabis myths

THE Jamaican government has launched a campaign to debunk myths around cannabis in an effort to boost the country’s burgeoning medical marijuana industry.

The Good Ganja Sense campaign was instigated by the Ministry of Health and Wellness and includes a song about how “ganja can boost lives” by promoting entrepreneurship, farming and scientific research.

Jamaica legalised medical cannabis in 2015 and decriminalised possession of a personal amount, with the bar set at two ounces. However, growing and distributing for recreational purposes remains illegal.

The new campaign features slogans such as “Burn ganja myths: not everything you hear about ganja is true” and “Go with the science: our scientists are learning more about ganja”. These phrases have been emblazoned on the side of buses.

“Ganja will no longer be underpinned by what has been passed down through oral traditions and old tales, but factbased information that is now available at the fingertips,” said Juliet CuthbertFlynn, head of the health ministry.

She said that the low ganja literacy rate in Jamaica means that people have been relying on hearsay to support their use or dismissal of the plant.

“With science and technology combined, Jamaica has in its arsenal a resource that puts into context, legislation, medical information and an overall evidence-based dialogue that can change the attitudes and behaviours that Jamaicans hold towards ganja.”

The campaign seeks to debunk the ideas that cannabis makes people lazy, is a gateway drug or lowers sperm count in men. It also seeks to stress that cannabis cannot cause a fatal overdose by itself, citing a memo written by the US Drug Enforcement Agency.