Marijuana In Jamaica Essay

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Jamaica is one of the larger islands within the Greater Antilles known for its sandy beaches, turquoise waters and an abundance of marijuana. The role of marijuana in Jamaican culture is multifaceted from its economic standpoint to the ties within the Rastafarian movement. Cannabis, the plant, has over sixty chemicals that can be used for medicinal purposes; these chemicals can be extracted into food or beverage, even some lotions for treatments. Even though marijuana is an illegal drug, marijuana plays a pivotal role throughout the country. Marijuana derives from the stems of the female flowers of the plant and is one of the forms of cannabis. The cannabis stem is an important source of hemp fiber which is used for making clothing, rope, …show more content…

Howell's The Promise Key, written using the pen name G.G. [for Gangun-Guru] Maragh, in the early 1930s.” ("Religion and spiritual,”)Marcus Garvey is known as the father of the Rastafarian movement. Many of Garvey’s followers considered him a prophet similar to John the Baptist. “Being a Rastafarian actually means that one believes in the divineness of Haile Selassie and wants to return home to Africa, the country of origin. Selassie is said to be the savior of the black (African) people, who were taken to the Americas against their will. There they live in virtual captivity, just as the “Babylonian Captivity’ mentioned in the Bible.” (Boekhout van Solinge) The colors of the Rastafari flag: red, bloodshed by the martyrs for the Rastas; yellow represents the wealth of African; green symbolizes vegetation and resources of Africa. The lion place in the middle of flag represents Haile Selassie, the Conquering Lion of Judah. In any place where there is a connection to Rastafarians the lion is …show more content…

Patients that have chemotherapy have trouble controlling vomiting but in today’s use of marijuana, it aids in the control of nausea. While ganja continues to make an impact on their economy, Robert Randall, president of Alliance for Cannabis Therapeutics, smoked ganja for his glaucoma and called it a miracle medicine. Two scientists did experiments to determine which ganja constituents were responsible for marijuana's anti-glaucoma effects. Dr. West and Lockhart were honored for formulating a ganja-based medicine that helps decrease intraocular pressure with none of the side effects caused by other treatments. In 1983, the Jamaican government granted them a new drug certification for Canasol. “Recently, two new ganja-based products have been developed ¬ Asmasol (a drug used to treat asthma, coughs and colds), and Cantimol (which also contains Canasol), and is a more potent drug used in the treatment of glaucoma.” (Boekhout van Solinge) Marijuana has also been used in its liquid form for therapeutic purposes. Ganja tea is used for to strengthen the immune system and fight fevers and

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