Knight chides ganja group

WESTERN BUREAU:

NATIONAL SECURITY Minister K.D. Knight yesterday blasted the commission that is probing the feasibility of legalising marijuana.

"I don't make any bones about it. The lobby talking about the legalisation of drugs ... I am personally against them," Mr Knight said.

"I don't believe that it can be to the benefit of the society to have people smoking ganja, taking cocaine, next thing heroin, next ecstasy, because they are at home. Are they confined to their homes at all times? Don't they come out on the streets? And when they come out on the streets with their impaired judgements am I not at risk? Are you not at risk?" he asked participants at Jamaica Police Federation's 58th annual conference in Montego Bay.

Minister Knight was speaking against the background of several criticisms that had been levelled at his administration's treatment of the issue of the illegal drug trade.

"People are saying there is a lack of will on the part of the police, the political directorate and the community. If there is a lack of will then we need, all of us, to rededicate ourselves to the fight against the drug trade because there is no doubt in my mind that it is having a terribly debilitating effect upon our society, upon our young people in particular our young men. They have become marginalised," he said.

"Some people don't believe that this ganja thing is drugs because is Jah weed and I and I weed, but some of these young people who are walking around talking to themselves whoever's weed it is that is a contributing factor to their condition," he said.

In the same breath, he blasted Amnesty International for characterising the police force in the international arena as a brutal force and white collar criminals.

"They say there is a human rights crisis in Jamaica arising from police excesses, the fact that capital punishment is still on the books and there are still (no) gay rights," he said.

The minister declined to comment on the issue of capital punishment and gay rights but said there was a need to curb police excesses.

On the issue of white collar criminals, Minister Knight pointed to a need to bring them to justice.

"For too long white collar criminals continue driving around in their Benz and Lexus (motor cars) and invite people to party and you gone to party. Dance up to music, drink up their liquor. If ever you hear about pot cuss kettle black is that," he said.

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