BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE Organisation of Rastafarians in Unity (ORU) believes that the time has come for the government to decriminalize the use of marijuana.
On Monday (Aug. 21), the ORU held a press conference at the NEMA Conference Room to address concerns it has in relation to the decriminalization of marijuana.
That was in addition to its members seeking to engage the Dr. Timothy Harris-led Team Unity Administration in a discussion on the issue.
In the not too distant past, Dr. Harris stood steadfast on his position that decriminalizing the illegal drug could have consequences for St. Kitts and Nevis internationally.
However, in response to a question while appearing as a guest on Winn FM’s ‘Voices’ programme earlier this year, he said that the decriminalisation of marijuana is a matter for national consultation.
“We have a submission going to the Cabinet hopefully next week where we are attempting to set up that broad based committee that would look at all of the issues involved in the use of marijuana and all other matters in relation to it, and that will have representation from the Rastafarian community, from health, from law enforcement, the schools etc., and such other relevant parties of course will have input as the commission, if you will, goes about doing its work and hearing from the people,” Dr. Harris stressed.
But the Rastafarian body claimed that since that statement it has not met with that committee, so its members are currently on a campaign to sensitize and educate the populace on the benefits of marijuana.
“The Organization of Rastafarians has been moving around the islands – St. Kitts and Nevis – doing sensitization rallies, where we are trying to engage persons within their communities and share information.
“But we are saying that we have been doing this for quite a while, and we are saying that it is full time now that the government...because we have already spoken with the authorities, the police, and they have said that it is not them. If the law changes tomorrow, then they have to respect the users of the herb.
“So, we must take our fight and our cries to the politicians. So this is why we are inviting persons to come on out and march and send that message, and they can see that it is not just I and I as Rastafari but it is a wide cross section of the population; so that they can see and be willing to start the discussion, because our sensitization is not falling on deaf ears.”
According to members of the ORU, they have motivated many people to use as well as to “investigate what really is herb”.
“So when they would have done this now and they would want to use it, they would be called criminals and can’t go to school. So, we are saying, let us come together and send a message so that the government can really activate this commission that they have started so that we can start to do our research. We can have access to it so that we can really see and read the benefits that the herbs have to offer.”
The members criticized the government’s committee, noting that they have not received any written invitation to be part of that body.
One of the members claimed that they are aware of the Chief Medical Officer Dr. Hazel Laws being the only sitting member of the committee.
The ORU wants the committee to be established quickly so that its members could get down to work in order for a definitive position to be taken in having the herbs decriminalized.
