When “The founding father of Rastafari” Leonard Percival Howell (aka “The Gong”) established the Pinnacle commune in the hills of St. Catherine, Jamaica in 1940, it developed into a self-sufficient enclave on the island not least due to the cultivation of Ganja (Marijuana).
At the time Ganja was deemed illegal by the colonial administration and this coupled with widespread official antipathy to the fledgling movement put them on collision course with authorities and Pinnacle was destroyed in 1954. (1) But it was arguably within this period that Ganja became indelibly linked to Rastafari, at least locally. Decades later, music Mogul Chris Blackwell’s desire to create a “Black rock band” helped globalise this perception. (2)
Three score years after Pinnacle was routed (2015 to be precise), the Jamaican government began the process of decriminalizing Ganja, possibly on a pathway to full legalization. However, some observers wondered whether this was “too little too late” given that advocates such as Dr Albert Lockhart were arguing for decriminalisation over forty years ago. (3) In the meantime, the US state of Colorado legalized Marijuana in 2014 and is reaping economic benefits. In March of this year retailers sold $135.2 million ($29.2 million medincinal, $106 million recreational) as part of $365.7 million for the first quarter of this year. (4)
The estate of reggae superstar Bob Marley, however, cannot be accused of slacking. They struck a deal with seattle-based private equity firm Privateer to develop Marley Natural weed strains. Privateer have been accused of appropriating Rastafari culture without direct benefit to Jamaica. Reggae legend Bunny Wailer is among those expressing concern:
“The Marley Natural deal must be publicly opposed. Only a Jamaican company incorporating local stakeholders, the Rastafarian community, local ganja farmers, medical scientists and investors should be allowed to market Brand Jamaica ganja first-hand.” (5)
However, many feel there is scope for Jamaica in this field – if the government acts quickly. London based activist and broadcaster Sis. Shanice Lindsay recently started a petition to this end, calling upon the island’s prime minister, Andrew Holness, to:
“Engage Jamaica in the profitable medicinal and recreational Ganja herbal market, to help bring relief to millions of pain sufferers worldwide, and to look strategically at the potential that Jamaican Ganja has for Jamaica, for both local and international export uses.” (https://www.change.org/p/mr-andrew-holness-take-action-to-secure-wealth-creation-in-jamaica-s-ganja-industry)
The petition proposes a raft of wide-ranging measures designed to make the Caribbean island a major player in the international marijuana industry while safeguarding local farmers and jobs, with the aim of making Jamaica a key player in what is expected to grow to a $50 billion industry within the decade. (6)
Adopting such proposals will mean that Jamaica will have to abandon its obedience to European institutions like the IMF, the UN and the USA. Such obedience has resulted in the island nation having “one of the lowest economic growth rates in the developing world” (7) so one would assume that a new approach is well past due.
Theoretically, the Rastafari community is in a position to benefit from any move towards legalization of Ganja but government assistance would be required to address the prohibitively high (for small scale farmers) fees to acquire licenses. Merely catering to large scale (and frequently multi-national) interests will inevitably result in the economic benefits being funnelled abroad.
It’s ironic that the Rastafari community that has been so historically maligned on the island could be at the forefront of an economic revolution not just in Jamaica but across the Caribbean. For example, Antigua has recently made moves to legalize cannabis with prime minister Gaston Browne asserting that “past prohibition was not prompted by the health or well-being of users, but to serve the ‘racist, political and economic interests of the global powers at that time.” In this context, Browne went on to apologise to the Rastafarian community for the ‘demonisation and brutalisation’ that has been inflicted upon them by police and other government authorities because of prohibition. (8)
There is also a call for Jamaica to harness it’s long established research into the uses of Ganja extracts, spearheaded by Dr Lockhart and the late Professor Manley West, to treat ailments like glaucoma and multiple sclerosis. (9)
In terms of developing other extracts, there are also potential benefits that can be derived from Ganja relative hemp including extiles, oils, high strength composites, food, hemp milk, and a list of other viable commercial products and commodities, such as hempcrete, a super high-strength concrete formulation. (10) Some commentators like Ras Ho-Shing suggest that hemp cultivation is better suited to flatter terrains rather than the more mountainous Jamaica, highlighting the possibility, should the governments choose to pursue it, of a Caribbean-wide strategy to Ganja and hemp cultivation.
(1) Leonard E Barrett (1988) The Rastafarians. Beacon Press. p. 86-7.
(2) Hooman Majd (17/03/09) Chris Blackwell. https://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/chris-blackwell
(3) Desmond Allen (22/05/14) Jamaican ganja — the race against time. http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Jamaican-ganja—the-race-against-time_16714519
(4) Alicia Wallace (19/04/18) Colorado logs $106M in recreational cannabis sales in March https://www.denverpost.com/2018/05/09/colorado-recreational-marijuana-sales-march-2018/
(5) Amar Toor (05/02/16) Bob Marley weed launches in a cloud of controversy. http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/5/10921432/marley-natural-marijuana-launch-price
(6) Sally Herships (28/11/17) Jamaica wants in on the booming marijuana market. But will farmers be able to cash in? https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-11-28/jamaica-wants-booming-marijuana-market-will-farmers-be-able-cash
(7) Azam Ahmed (01/10/16) Jamaica, Long Opposed to Marijuana, Now Wants to Cash In on It https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/02/world/americas/jamaica-marijuana.html
(8) Alastair Tancredl (17/04/18) Cannabis is set to be legalised in Antigua and Barbuda, as Prime Minister says ‘racist’ laws that banned it damaged the Rastafarian community. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5627049/Cannabis-set-legalised-Antigua-Barbuda-PM-denigrates-racist-laws-banned-it.html#ixzz5HBJCVizu
(9) Dwight Bellanfante (22/08/10) Wonder Drugs From Ganja – Britain Approves Cannabis-Based Medicine. https://www.caribbeanlifenews.com/stories/2016/11/2016-11-18-nk-industrial-hemp-med-marijuana-conference-cl.html
(10) Nelson A. King (17/11/16) Industrial Hemp, medical marijuana to be explored at major Caribbean conference. https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/windrush-immigration-act-corbyn-may/
we ask the question:
Can Ganja bring self-sufficiency to Jamaica?
1) Have you signed the petition?
2) Will the international institutions (IMF, UN, USA, etc) try and prevent Jamaica from capitalising on Ganja?
3) Is Ganja really safe enough to be legalized
4) Is it really “too little too late” for Jamaica’s entry into the legal Ganja market?
5) Have the Marley Estate undermined the potential of Jamaica’s Ganja industry?
6) Was previous Ganja legislation “racist,” serving the “the interests of the global powers”?
7) Is a Caribbean-wide strategy to legalize and develop Ganja and hemp products feasible?
Sis. Shanice Lindsay: In addition to manager of Starlight Music Academy, a platform for engaging young people and Starlight Global, an Afrikan investment and tour company, Sis. Shanice holds a Masters Degree in Public Sector Strategy and has over 30 years experience in a professional capacity, executing Economic Development, Regeneration, Business training, Business start-ups, Equal Opportunities and Community Engagement plans, across the public, private and charity sectors. She is also an independent film maker and hosts the Afrikan Empowerment Zone show every Wednesday from 10am to 1pm on Galaxy Radio.
Ras Ho-Shing: is based in Jamaica and is the international spokesperson of Ancient order of Rastafari, an executive member of the Ethiopian World Federation, Charter 43. In addition to his affiliation to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Ras Ho-Ching is also on the National council for reparations in Jamaica.