this is an old one: The parliamentary committee that was given the job of reviewing the report of the National Commission on cannabis has recommended the acceptance of its proposal that the personal use of small amounts of marijuana be decriminalised. This matter will now go the full House for debate and most likely a conscience vote before there is any amendment to the Dangerous Drugs Act, to reflect this change. We suspect, though, that the recommendation, having been carried by the select committee, will find an easier passage in the House, although this is by no means certain in a situation where the party whips are not called on to impose voting discipline. We nonetheless sense that the mood in Jamaica is tolerant towards the proposed change. In this regard we expect that amendments to reflect the changes in the law will come to the House early in the new session, which starts in April. The recommendation of the parliamentary committee, in the context of what is happening in several other countries, especially in Europe, may not appear substantial. But in the circumstance of Jamaica it is a big move to have got from there to here, for which the parliamentary committee deserves commendation. For there were, and are, many who warned against this limited measure of removing the use of small amounts of ganja in private as a criminal offence. For some the issue is moral, but we suspect that for most the greater concern is for the possibility of international repercussions, especially from the United States, if it is perceived that Jamaica has "gone soft" on drugs. The fact, though, is that to maintain the laws on ganja use as they currently are, would be to keep legislation out of step with popular sentiment and the society's instinct for justice and fair play http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/edit...500_56303_OBS_WELCOME_FIRST_MOVE_ON_GANJA.asp