Kammie Holder
Kammie Holder

If interdictions continue at the current rate the RBPF will harvest just short of 12 imperial tons thanks to growers off the illegal plant.  As of May 19th World Marijuana Commodity Prices rage from US$1000 in Alabama to US$5000 for hybrid in Florida.

If the above hold true,Barbados will  burn marijuana with a street value of between $59,000,000 to $268,000,000. Let me say it simple $29 to $268 million Bajan dollars. The marijuana extract CBD which is used treat Epilepsy cost approximately $70 for 4 milligrams while 60 Marinol tablets cost $400Bds.  How much are we losing out in not having a medical marijuana industry as a smart partnership with an international pharmaceutical company?

Why burn money when we can repurpose and change the reputation of  marijuana?  We need to stop let those who smoke marijuana and end up psychotic cloud our judgement on the benefits of a Cannaceutical Industry. Should we prohibit the use of rat poison warafin for blood thinning and eating of kidney beans?  Warafin is a rodentcide and uncooked Kidney beans are dangerous.  Oh, by the way I don`t smoke, drink or snort.

Let us be optimistic and less pessimistic if we are to remain relevant as a people who can solve problems while creating opportunities.

83 responses to “Marijuana Friend or Enemy of the State”

  1. George Browne Avatar

    AC for your conscience “I can take Eric’s distinction between politics and government up to a point, but I think I would say back that the bigger government gets and the more things become politicized and centralized in Washington, the more we’re going to have these fundamental clashes over our disagreements, deep disagreements.

    I think if you take the long view, the way I have been explaining it is this. If you go back 40 years ago and think about the anti-war movement and how it transformed the Democratic Party, the Tea Party is now the Republicans’ version of that.

    And if you think back again to the anti-war movement, a lot of people didn’t like their tactics and their disposition, a lot of liberals, but they did tend to agree with a lot of their point of view. And, today, the Tea Party, while a lot of people even in the Republican Party don’t like the Tea Party because it seems to lack prudence, sensible calculation about things, they do agree with their aims, and they do agree that there’s something deeply wrong with out-of-control government.”


  2. If we can’t grow sugar profitably (and everybody eats sugar) why do we think that there is this huge, huge market out there for medical marijuana?

    Epilepsy is a relatively uncommon disorder. The world already grows enough marijuana to treat all the epileptics out there and still leave us with a $29 to $268 million Bajan dollars tray of unsold marijuana.

  3. George Browne Avatar

    “Sorry, I should have been more clear. The decreasing THC on the graph when its right side up should also indirectly represent increasing CBN. The 142ºC curve for example reaches 15% THC at 7 minutes before decaying to 8% at about 45 minutes so I think one can assume that during the period of time that it went from 15%THC to 8%THC it also went from some percentage CBN to some higher percentage CBN and became an even better sleeping med. If the conversion were perfect then it might have had 7% CBN, which is larger than I remember seeing on any lab report.

    I’ve gotten the impression after interacting with hundreds of habitual cannabis smokers that a fairly large fraction of them smoke weed in part (some exclusively) as a sleep aid. This got me wondering if I could make a relatively pure form of CBN fairly easily if I just did a really bad job of decarbing my oil and wondering further if the standard decarbing graph can be used upside down as some sort of guide for making a cannabis based sleeping pill (or sleeping dabs)

    Sorry, I should have been more clear. The decreasing THC on the graph when its right side up should also indirectly represent increasing CBN. The 142ºC curve for example reaches 15% THC at 7 minutes before decaying to 8% at about 45 minutes so I think one can assume that during the period of time that it went from 15%THC to 8%THC it also went from some percentage CBN to some higher percentage CBN and became an even better sleeping med. If the conversion were perfect then it might have had 7% CBN, which is larger than I remember seeing on any lab report.”

  4. George Browne Avatar

    CBD, or cannabidiol, is quickly changing the debate surrounding the use of marijuana as a medicine.

    Most people have heard of a chemical called THC, which is the ingredient in marijuana that gets users high. But recently, attention has shifted to another compound in marijuana called CBD — and for good reason.

    Because while doctors can’t seem to look past certain side effects of THC, CBD doesn’t appear to present that problem. On the other hand, evidence of CBD’s medical benefits continues to grow.

    Here are five facts that you should know about this unique compound:

    CBD is a key ingredient in cannabis

    CBD is one of over 60 compounds found in cannabis that belong to a class of molecules called cannabinoids. Of these compounds, CBD and THC are usually present in the highest concentrations, and are therefore the most recognized and studied.

    CBD and THC levels tend to vary among different plants. Marijuana grown for recreational purposes often contains more THC than CBD.

    However, by using selective breeding techniques, cannabis breeders have managed to create varieties with high levels of CBD and next to zero levels of THC. These strains are rare but have become more popular in recent years.

    CBD is non-psychoactive

    Unlike THC, CBD does not cause a high. While this makes CBD a poor choice for recreational users, it gives the chemical a significant advantage as a medicine, since health professionals prefer treatments with minimal side effects.

    CBD is non-psychoactive because it does not act on the same pathways as THC. These pathways, called CB1 receptors, are highly concentrated in the brain and are responsible for the mind-altering effects of THC.

    A 2011 review published in Current Drug Safety concludes that CBD “does not interfere with several psychomotor and psychological functions.” The authors add that several studies suggest that CBD is “well tolerated and safe” even at high doses.

    CBD has a wide range of medical benefits

    Although CBD and THC act on different pathways of the body, they seem to have many of the same medical benefits. According to a 2013 review published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, studies have found CBD to possess the following medical properties:

    Medical Properties of CBD Effects
    Antiemetic Reduces nausea and vomiting
    Anticonvulsant Suppresses seizure activity
    Antipsychotic Combats psychosis disorders
    Anti-inflammatory Combats inflammatory disorders
    Anti-oxidant Combats neurodegenerative disorders
    Anti-tumoral/Anti-cancer Combats tumor and cancer cells
    Anxiolytic/Anti-depressant Combats anxiety and depression disorders
    Unfortunately, most of this evidence comes from animals, since very few studies on CBD have been carried out in human patients.

    But a pharmaceutical version of CBD was recently developed by a drug company based in the UK. The company, GW Pharmaceuticals, is now funding clinical trials on CBD as a treatment for schizophrenia and certain types of epilepsy.

    Likewise, a team of researchers at the California Pacific Medical Center, led by Dr. Sean McAllister, has stated that they hope to begin trials on CBD as a breast cancer therapy.

    CBD reduces the negative effects of THC

    CBD seems to offer natural protection against the marijuana high. Numerous studies suggest that CBD acts to reduce the intoxicating effects of THC, such as memory impairment and paranoia.

    CBD also appears to counteract the sleep-inducing effects of THC, which may explain why some strains of cannabis are known to increase alertness.

    Both CBD and THC have been found to present no risk of lethal overdose. However, to reduce potential side effects, medical users may be better off using cannabis with higher levels of CBD.

    CBD is still illegal

    Even though CBD shows much promise as a medicine, it remains illegal in many parts of the world. CBD is classified as a Schedule I drug in the United States and a Schedule II drug in Canada.

    On the other hand, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved a request to trial a pharmaceutical version of CBD in children with rare forms of epilepsy. The drug is made by GW Pharmaceuticals and is called Epidiolex.

    According to the company, the drug consists of “more than 98 percent CBD, trace quantities of some other cannabinoids, and zero THC.” GW Pharmaceuticals makes another cannabis-based drug called Sativex, which has been approved in over 24 countries for treating multiple sclerosis.

    A patent awarded to the U.S. Health and Human Services in 2003 (US6630507) also covers the use of CBD as a treatment for various neurodegenerative and inflammatory disorders.

    http://www.leafscience.com/2014/02/23/5-must-know-facts-cannabidiol-cbd/

  5. George Browne Avatar

    Sativex is a marijuana-based pharmaceutical that is now approved in over 24 countries.

    Sativex is a whole cannabis extract that comes as a peppermint-flavored mouth spray. The first pharmaceutical drug of its kind, Sativex can be prescribed for patients with multiple sclerosis in countries such as Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Spain.

    While the drug has not been approved in the United States, that could be changing very soon. Yet many wonder how Sativex actually differs from marijuana, which remains an illegal drug.

    Here are some basic facts about Sativex that you should know:

    Sativex is a marijuana extract.

    Despite its pharmaceutical sounding name, Sativex is made from the cannabis plant itself. The company behind it, GW Pharmaceuticals, has openly stated that Sativex contains all of the same compounds found in cannabis.

    The difference is that Sativex is manufactured using modern processes that allow the medicine to be standardized – meaning that each bottle of the spray contains the same concentration of active ingredients. The formula for Sativex includes a 1:1 equal ratio of THC to CBD.

    A lack of standardization happens to be one of the main sticking points for doctors who hesitate to support medical marijuana.

    Sativex is made in a country where cannabis is illegal.

    Sativex is developed and manufactured in the UK, where GW Pharmaceuticals is based.

    Despite the fact that marijuana remains illegal in the UK, even for medical purposes, the government issued a license to GW Pharmaceuticals in 1998 allowing the company to grow cannabis for research and development.

    Currently, Sativex is an approved treatment in the UK. At the same time, advocacy groups are still fighting to have medical marijuana legalized in the country.

    Sativex has all the same side effects as marijuana.

    Since Sativex is made from cannabis, it also produces a high. While the ratio of THC to CBD may be less than that of more potent cannabis strains, Health Canada’s Fact Sheet warns that Sativex can still cause “symptoms of cannabinoid intoxication.”

    Like cannabis, dizziness and fatigue are the most commonly reported side effects of taking Sativex. Sativex has also been confirmed to have no permanent effect on cognitive function.

    On the other hand, Sativex is administered as a mouth spray and has been found to cause oral discomfort in 20-25% of patients. Medical marijuana users do not typically experience this problem and often rely on vaporizers to avoid the negative effects of smoking.

    Sativex could hit pharmacies as early as this year.

    Sativex has been gradually making its way through the FDA approval process. It is currently in Phase III trials, the final phase of clinical trials, as a treatment for cancer-related pain.

    In early 2014, Sativex was granted Fast Track designation by the FDA in order to accelerate the drug’s approval.

    GW Pharmaceuticals says it expects to receive final FDA approval within this year or the next. Once approved, the drug could be prescribed by doctors and sold in pharmacies across the United States.

    Sativex is expensive.

    The cost of Sativex in countries where it is approved has already proven to be a barrier.

    In New Zealand, an average annual prescription of Sativex costs about $16,000 (US). Likewise, according to Professor Gavin Giovannoni of The London School of Medicine, Sativex has “not been proven to be cost-effective” in the UK, which has led a large number of MS patients to continue using illegal forms of cannabis.

    The main problem for most patients seems to be a lack of insurance coverage. Still, companies face significant costs associated with obtaining clinical data that will satisfy health authorities. These costs often factor into the price that patients end up paying.

    Sativex is not considered cannabis under federal law.

    While some might think that FDA approval of Sativex would make it impossible for the U.S. government to continue defending its classification of cannabis as a Schedule I drug, it may not be that difficult after all.

    As it turns out, Sativex has been given its own scientific name: nabiximols. Like other marijuana-based pharmaceuticals, such as Marinol (dronabinol) and Cesamet (nabilone), this allows Sativex to be scheduled separately from cannabis.

    Most countries where Sativex is sold have used this approach in order to maintain a ban on medical marijuana.

    Sativex may be useful for more than multiple sclerosis.

    While Sativex is currently approved solely for the treatment of MS-related muscle spasticity, the drug is also being trialed for a number of other conditions.

    Besides the company’s cancer pain trials in the U.S., Sativex is being studied in the UK as an add-on treatment for brain cancer. Previous studies have also suggested benefits in treating arthritis and neuropathic pain.


  6. The decriminalizing of marijuana and exploring its use as a medicine is a global movement. The conversations are being had all over the world. In Barbados without an informed position the AG et al have refused to enter the debate.Yet he talks with authority on all the other subjects like electoral irregularities last election day.

    https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=485469478293065


  7. The decriminalisation of marijuana is not going to produce any new agricultural salvation for Barbados ..or even St Vincent.
    Once the decriminalisation process is complete, Barbados will happily import foreign ‘medical mary-J’ at $2 per pound produced in Mexico and Columbia and beautifully packaged….rather than produce it locally at $40 per pound …sold in nasty plastic bags.
    …just like sugar, alcohol, vegetables and every other shiite.

    What decriminalisation WILL do, is remove the stupid artificial criminal conviction of citizens for nonsense, and free up police, court, prison, and other resources to deal with REAL issues such as praedial larceny and robberies.

    Any increase in resources required by the Mental hospital can be justified by the fact that such victims would have CHOSEN to take the risk of destroying their minds – exactly as some others currently do with alcohol.
    …perhaps this is why AC is so adamant that we should retain the legislation …to protect idiots from themselves….

  8. Kammie Holder Avatar

    @AC,, while you spew your venomous attacks against anyone who says anything that questions the wisdom of your party the Auditor General raises his nose at the stink of the SBRC contract.We the citizens are not the ones who have to worry about while you spew your venom but the political officers of the various embassies damning daily reports to their governments.


  9. Sir do you know what the bible call people of your ilk hypocrites and …and there is also a message within its pages that would be of benefit to yourself
    What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul
    Like i say you have been very strident and steadfast in your articulation on enviromental issue that destroy the earth and human health but on the issue of marijuana you have fell miserably short in condemnation and chastisement of the the legalization of a substance that can cause serious and irreparable harm to the social fabric of a country and its people.
    What is more dumbfounding is that apparently you fail to realise that both issues one of plasma gastification and that of marijuana have built in impediments that can be harmful yet you have taken it upon yourself to advocate a clear and pluasible need for the legalization of marijuana tossed upon a bed of econmic benefits while ignoring the same principle can be applied to plsama gastification and it source in the production of energy and the disposal of large volumes of waste
    I am not upset with you just blown away by your rationale to endorse one poision over the other


  10. You see Mr. Holder you have been caught with your tail between your legs. So you might ask!how is that so?i will tell you Mr. Holder the cat came out of the bag when PW released that marijuana poll a given tell which was used to manipulate the electorate mind and which also sends a subliminal message with an alterness and a possibilty that marijuana issue can or should be an issue which would attract the undecided voter especially the youth.
    The long and short being that if poll after poll shows an increased of favorability among the youth the blp might more or less be nughed ever so slightly to entertain legalization out of growing concern for votes
    Sir your follow up article is also a part of the dual effect of manipulation


  11. People power is a srious thing!

    We apologise


  12. “The circle of trust between the public and us is made complete by our acceptance of responsibility and accountability for all of our actions in the exercise of the freedoms granted to the media.”

    Sound real sweet doh. Whoever write dah is a better spinner tham Murali.

  13. Kammie Holder Avatar

    “A GOVERNMENT SENATOR has stopped short of calling for marijuana to be legalised for medicinal purposes, but he chastised the University of the West Indies (UWI) for failing to capitalise of the financial gains to be derived.”

    “What I am saying is we have this talent at the University of the West Indies and we should have been at the forefront of the research of marijuana usage for medical purposes,” Jepter Ince charged while supporting the Caribbean Accreditation Authority [Education in Medicine and other Health Professions) (Incorporation) Bill 2016 in the Senate yesterday.
    Ince said it was time the university relook its academic base as it pertained to the more traditional subjects, “or not we are going to be left behind – at the side of the road”.
    According to him, the growing interest in marijuana research indicated its properties could have potential benefits. He believes the UWI was not doing enough research in this area.”

    “We have within the United States where young people are being helped by the private sector as well as government to set up these massive marijuana greenhouses to do research and the results are looking positive. Not only that . . . I have also been paying attention to the marijuana stocks [on Wall Street] and they are what we call penny stocks lying idle.
    “What is going to happen . . . this is Jepter’s opinion, once the United States reaches the stage where they have found the remedies in marijuana for a lot of diseases, they are going to issue licences to bring that into the country.” (SDB Media)

    http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/81648/uwi-ganja-research

  14. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Bush Tea May 25, 2016 at 8:16 AM #
    “The decriminalisation of marijuana is not going to produce any new agricultural salvation for Barbados ..or even St Vincent.
    Once the decriminalisation process is complete, Barbados will happily import foreign ‘medical mary-J’ at $2 per pound produced in Mexico and Columbia and beautifully packaged….rather than produce it locally at $40 per pound …sold in nasty plastic bags.
    …just like sugar, alcohol, vegetables and every other shiite.”

    Oh what a wasted opportunity to save foreign exchange, to fulfill a longstanding dream of import substitution and put to good use the many abandoned sugarcane fields.

    Of course you all know that foreign suppliers of marijuana have to be paid upfront or COD in foreign currencies (not flimsy Bajan dollars issued by the CBB) for shipments either delivered to intended local distributor or intercepted because the appropriate bribes have not been paid.

    Who other than a Bajan brass-bowl would watch millions of hard-earned US$ laundered from tourism literally go up in smoke?
    But should we be surprised when a country allows itself to be so adulterated as to import coconut water in cartons and tamarinds in boxes from Thailand and Malaysia?
    Now that’s a rich country for you! So why not grass to burn?

    As I argued previously, unless Bajans find in a few years alternative ways of earning a living other than by the dying evils of social and financial prostitution (tourism and tax havens) the material prosperity they have ‘enjoyed’ in the last 50 years will come to an abrupt and bitter end.

    Sugarcane (another grass) was introduced to the island by the Dutch to replace the tobacco plant.
    So why not let the agri-wheel come full circle and copy their entrepreneurial agri-business spirit? Why not develop a Bajan weed industry using the pristine underground spring waters to grow and refine the product (once the rains return) as a marketing/branding technique?
    It was done with Bajan rum why not Bajan Collie? Rihanna could start the promotional ball rolling just as Bob Marley did it for Jamaica.

    Why not rotate and diversify the same mary-jane plant with the potentially profitable tropical flower industry by making use of the country’s track record at the annual Chelsea Flower show? Why not have a mini version of an international Flower Show as an imitation of the Chelsea Spring parade. The same way the Brits can copy the Nelson statue and Trafalgar Square from Bim why not copy their Chelsea floral parade to diversify the tourism product?
    You might be surprised to find out just how many gun powder monkeys on board Nelson’s ships were black.

  15. Kammie Holder Avatar

    @AC, I will introduce the Senator to Dr Damian Caholl of UWI so he can have an insight on the advance research going on at UWI on a Cannoceuticals.

  16. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Kammie Holder May 26, 2016 at 7:27 AM

    Instead of wasting taxpayers’ hard-earned money and the country’s ever dwindling foreign exchange why can’t Dumbville Inniss and his minions of mandarins refocus their entrepreneurial sights away from the traditional markets like Atlanta and Canada and take a trip to Amsterdam to see how a country exploits opportunities in the same marijuana business.

    Marijuana is not grown naturally (neither was sugarcane) in cold watery Holland but the country (through the wit of its people) has turned it into a multi-million dollar enterprise dovetailing nicely with its tourism and its green houses full of pretty looking flora for export.
    Where is the ROI from the billions spent on education since 1962?

  17. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    millertheanunnaki May 26, 2016 at 7:55 AM #

    Did you see last nights Simon Reeve BBC programme on the Caribbean which included Bim and St.Vincent,on St.Vincent he filmed Ganja farmers in the foothills of the volcano openly cultivating it,which suprised me untill he filmed his interview with the PM who made a telling point…..the day will come when we will import drugs made from ganja…..he then made the case about growing it for export.

    What is also interesting is that I have seen hemp based products on sale in supermarkets in Bim.


  18. Good morning Sir. You are missing the point. My beef is with your hypocrisy in calling for legalisation for decriminalization of marijuana which has proved to lead to substance abuse. Also you being an advocate for enviromental issues which can impact negatively on peoples health.i find it somewhat disingenuous of you to promote a substance in any shape or form that has devastating results on peoples health while on the other hand you vehemently opposed a WTE plant indicating that the plant can dangerously impact the enviroment and peoples health
    What Jepter Ince is saying is that given research is being done in Larger countries on medicinal purposes the UWI should also pursue a similar path through research which most people would have no problem encouraging.
    However your voice on the issue shows a level of hypocrisy that is dinstictively in opposition to the encouragement of wholesome enviromental practices which you expoused in your campaign against the WTE less you forget
    In other words it not so much the message but the messenger who have been caught with his foot in his mouth

  19. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Vincent Haynes May 26, 2016 at 8:09 AM

    Saw the documentary last year. Barbados is perceived as a getaway fun destination for the rich and famous.
    Good fella, Simon is. I envy him a lot. He has traveled the globe. From across the tropics of Capricorn and Cancer to the poles.


  20. Btw Mr.Holder i can agree with much of what you said in your article regarding benefits. However your inconsistency lies in many ways in regards to benefits which you also disregard or paid little or no attention when pointed towards by way of WTE generating lowering of the cost for energy for individual households
    My point being that when issues are heard and complex it might be best to be a neuteral advisor instead of being an advocate of half truth and innuendos which can set oneself to be tossed and thrown upon the waves of deceptions

  21. Kammie Holder Avatar

    @ACS,, good morning. AC, what a lame defence.I spoke to the Senator at length last nite and briefed him on the research ongoing at UWI which he was not aware of. In 2013 I was at a briefing with Dr Damian Cahill and some international persons along with a member of GOB discussing a medical marijuana industry led by UWI research. You behaving like a person person who smokes marijuana not realizing it’s goodness is in not smoking the bush.

    Just as freedom of speech can be abused and rum so too is marijuana
    Obviously you love to argue for the sake of it as it may be part of your DNA. Stop the glory less behavior for we know you are quite intelligent and know right from wrong.


  22. Bajan entrepreneurs should be planning for the inevitable. Grow, process, sell and export.

    Homegrown Bajan green “product of Barbados”


  23. A woman from an old tradition came to a new land. She learned the language and got “educated”. Then she learned what it meant to have a vice. An addiction.

    https://youtu.be/lIsAdz9Xu5s


  24. What small island nations should mostlyplaced focus and emphasis is on organic agricultural as a growing market for organically grown foods has taken over the once robust market of processed and chemically produce agriculture
    The organic market is still a wide open market to those who have the vision and knoweld

  25. Kammie Holder Avatar

    Fellas sent to prison for spliff while corrupt persons are celebrated.

  26. Kammie Holder Avatar

    Marijuana is not meant to be smoked.
    Cough syrup is not meant to be abused .
    Glue is not meant to be snorted.
    Coca Cola is not meant to be mixed with household cleaners.
    Fire is not to be used for the purpose of arson.
    Cocaine is not meant to be snorted.
    Warafin is not to be eaten as rat poison.
    Electricity is not to be mixed with water.
    Cassava if eaten raw will lead to arsenic poisoning.
    Finally, Jamaican ackee is not to be eaten raw.


  27. @ Kammie Holder 2:19 AM
    In short, common sense cannot be legislated.


  28. I will live to see Canadian Marijuana being sold in Massy stores and US produced Marijuana based medicine being sold at Collins Pharmacy. Meanwhile the Ministries of Agriculture, of Trade and of Finance will be seeking funds from the IADB to carry out pre-feasibility studies on the potential of possibly making use of Marijuana in the consideration of likely alternatives to sugarcane growing!


  29. 100 Weight Of Collie Weed


  30. […] Source: Marijuana Friend or Enemy of the State […]


  31. I read somewhere that marijuana can and should be used like lettuce and other leafy plants for salads.It is healthy food for the human body but it is not to be dried nor smoked,processes which release maddening mind altering properties of the plant.


  32. […] via Marijuana Friend or Enemy of the State — Barbados Underground […]

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