Dear Editor,
The letter by Timothy Jonas which was captioned `ANUG supports the call for legalization of marijuana in Guyana’ (SN January 14, 2019) is highly flawed and unconvincing. Such a call by ANUG (A New and United Guyana) also comes across as a manipulation to attract votes.
Flagrantly, ANUG fails to address the scientific influence of this substance on human behaviour in the context of a profound lack of education and deep poverty, among a sea of problems in Guyana. In my view, this calculation is a pivotal frame of reference which is critically important to determine whether marijuana is suitable for legalization at this time in Guyana. Obviously, ANUG remains clueless about the problems associated with marijuana use and misuse, particularly for a country such as Guyana.
ANUG needs to be reminded that the social, political and economic dynamics in Guyana are strikingly different from those in Canada and California where marijuana has been legalized. The legalization of this substance in these countries should never be a justification for its legalization here. Further, ANUG needs to be informed that the recreational use of marijuana remains largely illegal in both the Netherlands and Jamaica.
ANUG also needs to be reminded that the legalization of marijuana will never reduce the prison population in the face of deep poverty in Guyana. Legalization is guaranteed to produce the opposite effect. At the very least, it can be reasoned, that legalization under current conditions will dramatically send more Guyanese into prison via armed robberies, pickpockets, burglaries and a variety of illegal means simply because unemployed users will need to come up with scarce dollars necessary to purchase such an expensive drug. I just do not see how marijuana can be affordable under conditions of poverty and where unemployment is sky high. Legalization under current conditions just does not make any sense. It is simply an insane proposal. At this time, Guyana can’t afford to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.
If ANUG seriously cares about the welfare of marijuana users, then it must guide Guyanese to do the right thing by respecting our laws. Discipline is needed. The breaking of our laws directly expands the prison population and none of this is ever acceptable. To this end, Guyana must never rush to legalize marijuana in the absence of the required foundation just to reward those that are hell-bent on breaking our laws, or to reward those who want to financially profit from this drug at the expense of human lives or to reward those that issue hollow calls for votes.
Yours faithfully,
Annie Baliram
