SINCE Jamaica became an independent nation and a signatory of the International Convention of the United Nations (UN) against the planting, possession and illicit use of marijuana, Jamaica has saved over a trillion dollars in health care, especially in the maintenance of the sanity of its citizens, by continuing with the criminalisation of the planting, possession and illicit use of marijuana as a narcotic substance.

The marijuana plant is of Asian origin. It was first observed to be grown on the banks of the River Ganges in India. This is how the name ‘ganja’ originated, but the plant is officially named in India as the ‘Indian Hemp’.

The plant has distinct male and female species, whereby the male plant does not flower and therefore does not bear seeds and is not referred to as marijuana, as the leaves are not as potent with the concentrated chemical substances as the leaves of the female plant.

The female plant, with the intoxicating psychoactive properties of high euphoric effect, flowers and bears seeds, and its leaves, flowers and seeds are what really caused the plant to be referred to as the marijuana plant. Therefore, the female plant with the psychoactive properties is scientifically referred to as a Pistil-ate plant with Cannabis Sativa.

Pistil is the female reproductive organ of a flower and cannabis is the dried flowering spikes and/or fruit-in-tops of the female plant.

In India, apart from the complex chemical composition and psychoactive properties of the leaves, fruit-in-top and/or flower of high euphoric effect of the female plant — that is dangerous and/or poisonous to the human brain and entire nervous system of the body — the plant, both male and female, is generally noted for the tough fibre of its bark and with the required licence, it is used for the production of canvas and rope (the hemp rope) etc.

The psychoactive property with the high euphoric effect of the female plant is above the control of the metabolism of the immune system of the human body and causes the imagination of the person that drinks and/or smokes it to rise above the height of elucidation, which makes it damaging to the brain and the entire nervous system of the body.

This high euphoric effect of the psychoactive property of the leaves and flowers of the female plant is what is commonly misinterpreted and is misleading of the plant as a medicinal herb that is suitable for the human body.

Such high euphoric effect is by far higher and lasting than the euphoric effect of the psychoactive properties of the female plant and is synonymous to the pharmacodynamics of an aphrodisiac that is injected into a stallion to intensify its sex drive. It is therefore above the control of the immune system of the human body.

Based on its chemical composition, the female plant typifies the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The male plant, carries not flower or fruit-in-tops, hence, the leaves, flower and/or fruit-in-tops of the female plant are dangerous and especially of those grown in Jamaica, which appear to be more potent that those grown in other countries.

When toxicologically observed in research in the biochemical laboratory, the chemical composition of the marijuana plant is a most complex one of many different chemical compounds. These chemical compounds are subdivided into three classes, according to the chemical scale of Acid (Ph 1-6), Neutral (Ph 7) and Alkaline (Ph 8-14). The active ingredient of these chemical compounds is a chemical compound known as Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is most addictive and above the standard of control of the human brain and nervous system.

Therefore, with the euphoric effect of such psychoactive property, the internal use of marijuana is dangerous to all age groups and especially to children. The continuous use (smoking and drinking) of the narcotic substance is worse psychologically, though the person, having become addicted and to some extent, may appear and believe that he or she is fine, but with distinct appearance of symptoms and especially the uncut hair and coloured eyes that are different from the normal person. Therefore, the continuous use of marijuana is destructive to the human brain, the nervous system and the entire body.

Apart from the THC, the complex chemical composition of the marijuana plant has chemical proprieties that if successfully separated and diluted, could be of benefit to the human body orally and possibly intravenously.

However, from thorough research and based on consensus of the international convention of the UN, what is dangerous about the plant is the complexity of its chemical composition. Each compound of the composition is of minute quantity and the complexity of the composition makes it impossible to chemically separate one from the other (the poisonous from the non-poisonous) without creating a chemical or nuclear change that is worse damaging to the body.

Therefore, with the THC, it is internationally observed and remained a narcotic substance; as the use of it can only be done as a whole, which is dangerous to the human body.

Without evidential proof of the formula and authenticity of the extract(s) and identity of the specific chemical compound(s) extracted from the complex chemical composition of the plant, and evidence of the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics as a medicinal product without serious harm to the human body, any signatory of the UN Convention that legalised the use of marijuana in whatever quantity is a retrograde step towards psychotic development of its citizens.

With the findings of over 70 years of established research by the UN Convention on marijuana, whosoever is proactive to the legalisation of marijuana for medicinal purposes has very little and or no knowledge and understanding of its psychoactive danger to the human brain, nervous system and entire body.

Metaphorically, such person or group of persons is intoxicated with the inordinate love for monetary gain, fame and fortune of the world, that comprised the root and or route of all evil.

It is a fact that Canosol was developed from marijuana.

I believe that if a survey is done among the ophthalmologists in Jamaica, 95 per cent of them would say that Canosol has no effect against glaucoma and 4.5 per cent would say it has very little effect.

The media are currently burdened with so many experts on marijuana who are proactive of the licensing of it, but when those who know better listen and read what they say about the plant, it is evident that they have no true knowledge of the plant and its chemical composition, except that they are under the influence of the inordinate desire for economic gain and employment, against the current global recession.

For example, President Barack Obama is able to be proactive in such retrograde step, because, apart from the fact that he is ignorant of the complex chemical composition of the plant and its danger to the human body, he is in his second and final term as President of the USA and quite likely to him, he has nothing to lose with the world in mind and no emphasis on his soul. Also, as president of the USA, he is also proactive of unisex marriage, against the will of God. What grave mistake for a young man with such great potential and who is greatly loved! Can a man opposed and remain standing in battle against God?

To gain, and for the maintenance of power, there are times when people do silly things.

In Jamaica, to boost revenue, the authorities started to license handcarts and because a trying, poor peasant could not pay the licence for operating his handcart, they took sledge hammers and smashed his handcart in one incident. Consequently, he and his children and children’s mother are placed in the position to suffer from hunger. With such a draconian and kangaroo law, what great temptation it is to cause the poor man and his children to become criminals to maintain themselves? Where is the love in action? Is it not because of class prejudice in Jamaica, that is worse than apartheid, that was practised in South Africa why they smashed the trying peasant’s cart?

With the appropriate licence, the bark of the marijuana plant is used by some signatories of the UN Convention in the production of canvas and rope and other products with such material, except for medicinal purposes etc, for assimilation in the human body. Therefore, in all the signatories of the UN, including Jamaica, the cultivation, possession, trading and use; including exportation of marijuana and any byproduct (hashish) thereof are illegal, in that they are narcotic substances.

Consequently, to have criminalised tobacco smoking and legalised the smoking, etc of marijuana, and irrespective of the quantum, it is likened unto the leaders of a commune who are faced with economic problems that they cannot solve and thereupon colluded and prepared a toxic treat and premeditatedly fed it to each member of the commune as the way forward; to deceptively become insane and commit mass suicides.

Dr Basil R Simms, a biochemist and business consultant, is founder and chairman of Retsam Research and Development Ltd. He may be reached at 416-5546 or basil.simms@cwjamaica.com