Dear Editor,

Based on the incidents shared by the Minister of Education Ronald Thwaites, with regard to ganja smoking among students on the very day small quantities of the substance was decriminalised, it would appear as if we have put the cart before the horse. The approach to decriminalisation has to be multivariate as it is obvious that this ganja issue has far-and wide-reaching effects.

This issue of decriminalisation and the development of a medicinal ganja industry has brought with it many and varied social, psychological, health, and cultural challenges that needed to be addressed prior to “decriminalisation day”.

Studies done locally have revealed data showing that young people have always had the view of ganja being the least harmful and easiest to get in terms of illicit drugs in Jamaica. That sort of perception can only drive incidence and prevalence rates of ganja use among youth upwards. It is a view that will enable experimentation and sustained drug-seeking behaviour to continue among youth who are so inclined.

Prevention education is the missing piece if we are to accept decriminalisation. A comprehensive evidence-based approach must be employed swiftly so that we can short-circuit these skewed perceptions of our youth who will eventually be our adult citizens.

It is important to note that despite decriminalisation of small amounts it is still illegal for youth under the age of 18 to possess ganja.

The future of this country is dependent heavily on our youth, who oftentimes require us to protect them from themselves. Here at RISE Life Management Services we provide counselling and testing services primarily for youth abusing ganja, referred by school, family and/or the justice system. Data collected from RISE’s telephone counselling lifeline in 2014 indicated that 62 per cent of calls received were for ganja-related problems predominantly affecting males in 15-35 age group. The resources available to initiate both prevention and treatment work has always been sparse. RISE has always struggled for funding, however, thanks to the National Health Fund who funded us in the past, and currently the CHASE Fund, RISE has delivered this intervention for the past six years and has funding until August 2015.

With that said, there is an urgent need to mobilise more resources so that islandwide prevention education programmes can be initiated. We need to act sooner rather than later.

Sonita Abrahams

Richard Henry

RISE Life Management Services

57 East Street, Kingston

www.risejamaica.org