THE EDITOR, Sir:
THE COUNTRY is paying the ultimate price for habitual ganja smokers.
Imagine the scenario where someone is driving a motor vehicle on our roads, the vehicle has failed its examination, the driver has been smoking ganja, he has no insurance cover and has not passed an official driving test.
This is a highly toxic mixture but, paradoxically, it is a daily occurrence on our roads.
Let us examine a more reasonable scenario (if there is such a thing), for those of us with our heads in the sand.
The vehicle, driver and driving documents are in order. However, the driver is a regular smoker of ganja and sometimes he smokes a mixture of coke and ganja (seasoned spliff). He even believes that he is the world's best at everything he does.
It is significant that the world prefers Jamaica's ganja because of its high tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content. Habitual users show signs of delusions, hallucinations, mood swings and schizophrenia.
THC acts on the brain receptors and strong doses used repeatedly over long periods cause the brain to release huge floods of dopamine, a chemical which can unbalance a developing mind.
I read recently that there are about a quarter of a million abusers of controlled drugs in Jamaica. I am of the opinion that most gunmen are in this category.
If this is true, there is a large number of people driving around the country who are suffering from mental illness while armed with a firearm.
From my experience with the Jamaica Constabulary Force, it would appear that individual police officers are reluctant to deal with traffic-related offences.
None have ever tested my vehicle for construction and use offences, or even administered a screening breath test procedure.
Is our country one big mental institution? The only way to clear up this cancer that is destroying our country is to have a multi-agency approach!
I am, etc.,
STANFORD BEAN
s.w.bean@btinternet.com
Birmingham, England
Via Go-Jamaica
