The lead story in the Observer’s Tuesday edition, “Ganja gets gov’t protection”, is actually quite instructive in demonstrating our national need to come to some conclusion in this seemingly endless debate about what to do with ganja.

The story, which we note did not break locally, reports that Cannabis Sativa, the botanical name for marijuana or ganja, is among iconic Jamaican brands and names of products that our Government is moving, in a pact with Switzerland, to protect against international misuse or false use.

That presupposes that the Govermment of Jamaica believes that there is some intrinsic value in ganja that needs to be protected and preserved for the benefit of present and future Jamaicans.

It is noteworthy that ganja is in very remarkable company with a long and impressive list of other local icons being protected, such as ‘Jamaica’; ‘Blue Mountain Coffee’; ‘Jamaica Rum’; ‘Jamaican Patties’; ‘Boston Jerk’; ‘Jamaican Ginger’; ‘Trelawny Yellow Yam’; ‘Jamaican High Mountain Coffee’; ‘Catherine’s Peak Water’; ‘Jamaican Roots Wine’; ‘Jamaican Jerk’; ‘Walkerswood Jerk’; ‘Jamaican Allspice’; ‘St Andrew Thyme’; ‘Jamaica Logwood Honey’; ‘Lucea Yam’; ‘Jamaica Scotch Bonnet Pepper’; ‘Manchester Peppermint’; ‘St Elizabeth Escallion’; ‘St Elizabeth Thyme’; ‘Middle Quarters Shrimps’; ‘Jamaican Pimento’; ‘Jamaican Ortanique’; ‘Jamaican Cocoa’; ‘Jamaican Red Pepper’; ‘Jamaican Easter Bun’; ‘Jamaican Bun’; ‘Jamaican Jackass Corn’; ‘Bustamante Jaw Bone/ Backbone’; ‘Jamaican Paradise Plum’; ‘Jamaican Potato Pudding’; ‘Jamaican Gizzada’; ‘Jamaican Bammy’; ‘St Elizabeth Bammy’; ‘Jamaican Bissy’; ‘Jamaican Cannabis Sativa’ (for eg CANASOL and ASMASOL, its derivatives); ‘Jamaican Blue Mahoe’; ‘Jamaican Cedar’; ‘Jamaican Lignum Vitae’; ‘Jamaican Bauxite’; ‘Jamaica Clay’; ‘Jamaican Limestone’; ‘St Elizabeth Hodges Clay’; ‘Castleton Clay’; and ‘Jamaican Thatch’.

We assume that other similar bilateral agreements will be signed in due course under the Jamaica Protection of Geographical Indications Act of 2004, which defines “geographical indication” as a good originating in the territory of a country, or a region or locality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographical origin.

Such geographical indications serve as important marketing tools in the trading of quality products on the export market, and this has spurred like-minded countries, in this case Jamaica and Switzerland, to negotiate bilateral protection agreements under the World Trade Organisation Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

The Jamaican list seems to be missing some icons like ‘Reggae Music’, ‘Ska’ and ‘Mento’, unless, of course, that is covered somewhere else. Otherwise it would be a serious oversight by the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office and we would love to know why.

In the case of ganja, we call for a conclusion to the long-running debate on whether to decriminalise or legalise the weed. Its addition to the list of products being protected suggests that the Government continues to be favourable to, at the very least. decriminalising it.

Given that both sides of the House appear to be on the same page, let’s take this decision once and for all.