What is Ja waiting on to legalise ganja?

THE EDITOR, Sir: FOR YEARS I have been advocating that Jamaica should utilise the marijuana plant to the hilt.

What does Jamaica have to lose? Nothing, and she has a massive store of money to gain to assist us with the financial recovery of our country. We have this green gold that has been illegally financing many of our people for years. Why not make it legal?

Let us examine some of the many uses.

1. A fast- growing plant that provides an abundance of nitrogen to the soil.

2. An Irish company has developed eco-friendly buildings from a mixture of the plant and lime along with other materials. Visit ‘Hemp House’. Instead of releasing toxic carbon into the atmosphere by burning the farmers’ hard work, we should be utilising the methods. The plants could be utilised as biomass for fuel.

3. Companies are manufacturing soaps, lotions, milk, biscuits, and a host of other useful things from the plant.

What is Jamaica waiting on? The boat left us in the viable offshore- banking days. Is the boat going to capsize with the marijuana consultations?

What can we learn from the United States? The people decided whether or not their states should reap the bountiful blessings from the weed.

We have to be realistic. Jamaica can decriminalise ganja and put systems in place to ensure that it does not contravene international laws. Where there is a will, there is a way.

We cannot continue to make criminals of our people because we refuse to be enlightened. VERNA GORDON BINNS theashton@cwjamaica.com Black River, St Elizabeth