Blaze it I!

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Increasingly as the blogmaster traverses the streets of Barbados or drive for that matter, there is the pungent smell of ‘weed’ that assaults the nostrils at every turn. Is it farfetched to conclude the increase in deviant behaviour, including vehicular accidents, is the result? Law makers should move quickly using an evidence based approach to eliminate individuals blazing while driving as the cause of some of the mayhem being experienced.

Social commentator Kammie Holder is of the view politicians throughout the Caribbean make political decisions of decriminalizing the use of marijuana for recreational purpose, however, he suggests it is a decision that is myopic and lacks deep thought.

The question begs, how many vehicular accidents or violent crimes were carried out while persons were under the influence of dope? Given our modus operandi in Barbados we will probably never know, BUT, we know the price of building another prison a la VECO, and another Jenkins but never the true social cost of bad political decisions.

See link sent by Kammie Holder.

Fully Legalizing Marijuana Could Raise Car Crash Rates

Steven Reinberg

Published on March 30, 2023

https://consumer.healthday.com/marijuana-and-driving-2659660920.html

6 thoughts on “Blaze it I!”


  1. Where is the survey to compliment the comment that accidents are caused by people who smoke marijuana…when it’s documented globally that is not the case, that vehicular accidents are more tied to those who drink alcohol..careless on the road and not paying attention, texting while driving….and a bunch of etcs.

    .blaming the favorite boogeyman marijuana is always seen as a distraction.

    The marijuana scam the usual suspects are running on the population is not going unnoticed, just saying…we heard, we know.

    Reply ↓

    • AG to examine criminal justice system
      Read; immediate past president, Rosalind Smith-Millar, and deputy permanent secretary in the office of the Attorney General, Anthony Wiltshire.
      The Attorney General explained that the focus of the meeting would be on a comprehensive draft paper which was prepared on Criminal Justice Reform, and he invited the BBA to make a presentation at the symposium.
      Improve system
      “We are going to push to have new criminal procedure rules, among other developments; we have to improve the system.”
      Marshall congratulated Williams on her appointment, and said he was keen to continue engagement with the Bar Association.
      Williams said that the association would be prepared to make a presentation
      at the symposium on the critical issue of criminal justice. She pointed out that the BBA had started robust training for lawyers in areas such as employment, constitutional and family law.
      Press for upgrades
      She said while there are many challenges, the association was committed to working with the office of the Attorney General and building bridges. She also stated that the BBA continued to press for upgrades to the legal system and was fully in support of the modernisation of the courts.
      During the courtesy call, the officials also discussed a number of other areas, including the creation of the Deputy Criminal Registrar post, and the recent appointment of three additional judges to help clear the backlog in criminal cases.
      (BGIS)
      Barbados’ criminal justice system will be examined when the Office of Attorney General hosts a one-day symposium on Wednesday.
      Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Dale Marshall, said the important discussion is a “focused meeting to address the many inefficient aspects of the criminal justice system”.
      Marshall made the comments recently when the president of the Barbados Bar Association (BBA), Kaye Williams, and her team paid him a courtesy call at his Wildey office. Those present included vice-president, Laura Harvey-


      Source: Nation


    • Lane raps ‘boardroom gangsters’

      WITH THE RECIDIVISM rate still between 60 to 70 per cent, Minister of State in the Office of the Attorney General with responsibility for Crime Prevention, Corey Lane is urging “boardroom” gangsters to open their hearts and do more to work with offenders.
      If that is not done, he suggested the recently brokered peace truce between warring gangs would not be as effective.
      “One of the greatest difficulties I have found is not with the gatekeepers or the gang leaders or the people in the street. I am not afraid of the gangsters in the streets, I’m afraid of the gangsters in the boardroom.
      “When it [the truce] was announced, the sort of reaction that I got from people I thought should know better was ‘what peace what’, ‘that ain’t gine last’, ‘they only doing that because they want money’, that may seem small . . . but the gaining of peace is not what is important, the maintaining is what is important,” Lane said.
      He made those comments on Sunday during St James South’s Neighbourhood Watch group meeting at West Terrace Primary School.
      During his presentation, Lane also said that in addition to the recidivism rate, he was also concerned that 80 per cent of the youngsters who went to Government Industrial School also ended up at Dodds Prison, St Philip.
      However, instead of shunning the ex-offenders, Lane urged Barbadians to embrace them and give them a chance considering that many
      offenders were born into vulnerable societies and did not have the necessary support systems.
      “At the core, we have separated ourselves from our young people. We feel fearful of them and we cannot speak to them. I am not saying let’s facilitate a mafia or cartel; I am not saying if you have done wrong you should not be punished to the full extent of the law. . .
      “I am saying do all of those but also let us open our minds and hearts and understand that there is such a wedge between them and us and that is how we get here in the first place,” Lane added.
      More than 200
      In February more than 200 individuals from various blocks and districts gathered in Chapman Lane in the City and vowed to end the war between them that led to many violent deaths over the years.
      Lane said that was one of the many initiatives they were working on to improve crime statistics in the country. Some of the other projects included Endeavour House (similar to a reintegration halfway house and a project which would see the Government utilising empty buildings where exoffenders could continue to use the skills they developed while incarcerated.
      “We give them gold at NIFCA, we salute them and we clap but what happens after that? When the curtains close and they return to society, they have no support again.
      “However, what if we took some of the empty BIDC buildings and we create an industry for
      them to continue their rehabilitation in a sustainable way to use those skills? There they can continue the skills to make money and be empowered when all the doors were slammed in their face at all the different employers. That is not only what we will talk about but that is what we implement in this financial year,” Lane added. (TG)

      Source: Nation


  3. Bajans are no Jamaicans
    and they can’t take the holy herb
    they ain’t ready

    A man can live for a hundred years or more
    For umpteen years and a score
    Not only by the words of his mouth
    But the meditation of his heart
    Not only by the words of his mouth
    But the meditation of his heart

    God is king, our leadership
    So give him praises and we all shall live
    Not only by the words of our mouth
    But the meditation of our hearts
    Not only by the words of our mouth
    But the meditation of our hearts

    Let it accept them the Lord
    Let it shine
    Let it shine
    Because them knows that the wrong
    Can’t beat the right
    Nеver never lеt them fall

    So let all nations help us sing
    Righteous praises to our God and King
    Not only by the words of your mouth
    But the meditation of your hearts
    Not only by the words of your mouth
    But the meditation of your hearts

    Reply ↓

  4. When they say it’s a spiritual thing
    That means there’s something going on in your soul
    Something goin’ on in your body
    I’m not here to preach to you
    And I’m not here to tell you how to feel but
    I know that feelin’ that you get when you just want to break down
    And you just want to close the door and turn off the lights
    But here’s what I need you to do
    I need you to look within
    I need you to find that thing that
    That can make you come up and rise again
    That can make you feel good
    That can lift your spirits
    I need you to do this for me
    I need you to get Holy
    Holy Holy
    Holy Holy
    Holy Holy
    No matter where you are
    No matter where you’re standing
    Right here right now
    (Holy Holy)
    I need you to get Holy on me come on now
    Don’t hold back
    Holy Holy
    We gon’ have church up in here
    Let’s get sanctified tonight
    Clap your hands
    Get up
    Let’s get Holy
    Holy Holy

    Reply ↓

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