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Is Marijuana or Marijuana Laws Dividing African Families and Hampering Economic Growth?

Feature Article Is Marijuana or Marijuana Laws Dividing African Families and Hampering Economic Growth?
DEC 8, 2022 LISTEN

There are huge differences between the effects of Marijuana on a person, family, or country versus the effects of the Marijuana laws on the mentioned. Of course there are different types of Marijuana strains, but very similar, at least compared to the different types of Marijuana laws around the world. Due to time and space, we may have to focus on the Gambia and the US, the two countries I am very familiar with.

Even though I have grown to be a top Marijuana legalisation Activist around the world, I was more against the Marijuana laws than supporting marijuana usage, because my experience with Marijuana was neutral, but my experience and vivid understanding of Marijuana laws was negative . Social stigma punishes Marijuana folks in Africa more than African governments, but that social stigma is still partly due to bad laws and partly due to religious misunderstanding.

So changing the law drastically reduces one part of the stigma and give way for more truth to surface and eliminate or reduce the religious misunderstanding about Marijuana. I seriously believe Marijuana laws were/are the problem or why is the defiant US gradually defeated and sadly fighting the Cannabis activists, still ? We caught them in plain lying and cruelty, and arguably in stupid laws too. The Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, but over ninety percent of every village have at least one cannabis dealer and recruits to replace if arrested.

This simply means they cannot stop marijuana even while it is illegal, but the cowards argue when legalised it will be too much, something US and Canadian cowards argued and were largely proven wrong. It also means over ten thousand cannabis dealers are in small Gambia (Villages +towns); about one thousand cannabis arrests a month, but most of them bribe their way out, so those they bribe will less likely want it legalised. About 300 to 400 people are in Gambian prisons over Cannabis, but thousands of families are divided and fighting in very unnecessary ways, and largely due to the law. Those who help change the unjust Marijuana laws will bring families back together, so let the peace makers seek the blessings of God through truth, and I happen to be in such family issues.

Most of my siblings, especially one of them, happen to be on complete different page on marijuana and Marijuana laws since we were both in the US and the tension has loosen on one side, but risen on the other side. He has literally accepted he was extremely wrong on marijuana direction than Joe Biden confess so far, but he is still grossly wrong and happens to be a perfect example of 'ignorance' at different levels, yet I consider him 'sincerely mistaken' sometimes, because he is not directly cruel , but repeatedly supports cruel positions and gross arrogance against personal rights, plus serious religious misinterpretation. Today, he told me 'until I stop advocating for marijuana or marijuana legalisation, he is not willing to loan me money for business', and I interpret that as work denial, the central reason why I entered activism in the US and now calculating how many millions of African families are going through something similar. Some people believe in pressure than truthful dialoque to subdue opponents, but wrong pressure or on the wrong person may actually embolden your opponents sometimes. His position will raise my activism, because now I believe if our fairly united family can have such issues, millions of African families may be having worse issues and need my push and God's help to tranquil families in Africa like we did in US. I call on family oriented folks to closely study what I am contrasting.

Because people react differently on cannabis, it will be too lengthy to discuss the cannabis effects on persons, but it is worth noting how God immensely bless me not to ever cause trouble to my family or neighbours, when high. I will not deny about one to five percent of cannabis users do behave badly at times, perhaps due to wrong strains or issues they had and cannabis tends to amplify. I think legalisation will help people choose and access right strains and those who misbehave through cannabis be warned or dealt with, but avoid denying cannabis help millions of people, including the improvement of character. May it ever improve our character, health, and even money.

Both me and my brother went to US to improve our financial lives, but God is always testing our character than giving money to whom he wills, even on foreign countries. We both saw how so many black people suffered in the US, he thought drugs (including marijuana and alcohol) were largely responsible for black problems , I thought the marijuana laws were the main culprits and led to other problems, including joining gangs. It is basically a systemic issue, a gradual process. The US had a culture of unnecessary pre-employment drug tests, but crack heads hardly seek work, so it affected mainly marijuana users. By denying employment to millions of mainly black people over Cannabis, a fraction will abstain from marijuana to get employment, another fraction will use it and try self employment or legal petty trade, another fraction will join gangs or some other forms of illegal activities, etc. Now if you give millions drug arrest record over cannabis , how many you estimate will find it harder to find work?

If you support unnecessary work denial and indifference, then a stray gang bullet may hit you or someone you indirectly gambled? The bad marijuana laws help create gangs in very similar ways as alcohol prohibition did until good whites understood alcohol may have 'good and bad' associations, but bad alcohol laws can be much worse than alcohol? Despite the many problems alcohol give us today, history and common sense tell us it is much wiser to have it legal, regulate it, and deal with some abusers, and leave the rest with God. I truly consider cannabis to be largely good now, but even those who are yet to be convinced that it is very different from alcohol, should ask Barack Obama and those who experienced both.

In the states where the law gave you the power to seize a house over cannabis , a smart or xyz parent may tolerate a son who rapes or steals, but seeing your son on marijuana means you may loose your compound (house). So some parents sent their children or relatives out to protect their house (compound), dividing families through the law or marijuana? Well, lot less families in US will evict people where marijuana is legal, today. So not only are we stopping the billions of dollars poor black+ families paid in fine, lawyer fees, bail, etc, we are re-binding families and let advice and counselling step in where need be. Even my most problematic brother and opponent on marijuana may admit that is progress and thanks to activists than those who are ashamed of activists against bad laws, sometimes mistaken as pro xyz. Although now he admits he was wrong, he once said the terrible US marijuana laws 'should get harder'. I could not convince him then, but I convinced the whites he trusted over his own brother and may be some whites may help us legalise it in Africa to stop or minimise my cannabis activism and get my family back?

Although not many African countries have cannabis laws up to seizing houses, The Gambia happens to have it, but hardly enforced to that level. However, many family members may snub, evict, backbite, or deny simple opportunities to even family members over cannabis and legalising marijuana will reduce such issues. My brother does not do pre-employment drug tests, but I heard he asked potential employees if they use marijuana and deny such employment in worse ways than US did? Should rich marijuana folks deny him contract too or will he reject such? Whether or not he stopped that alleged practice is almost irrelevant, because denying his blood brother loan over cannabis is bad testimony against him and praying for his repentance beyond me. Once legalised, some of his good or great employees or business partners will come out of the closet, it may open his eyes to accept cannabis more. For now he thinks only white people can use cannabis and work right, run business right, make money than him, or financial pressure can subdue his brother to stop calling for stopping cruelty against marijuana users is Islamic and good for us?

His latest argument is 'not wanting to be a hypocrite', but I wonder if supporting or being indifferent to our hypocritical marijuana laws won't get him closer to being hypocrite than supporting his blood brother in tourism or something far from cannabis? A country that allows alcohol, bleaching folks, idol worshippers to arrest people even over medical cannabis is far from Islamic and closer to hypocritical laws or country? Collective responsibilities demand the best to help move the country away from hypocrisy. People have personal responsibilities, extended personal responsibilities, and collective responsibilities -- all beyond finance. My reason of needing his help is not a sign of failure or may the God of success help me more vividly, including on finance.

He happens to be richer now, but I happen to be happier. Yesterday was not the same and tomorrow I could be richer not just financially, but even more on character. We the top cannabis activists were/are fought by the US and folks like my brother, unjustly and with futile pressure tactics. Examples: Marc Emery is arguably the top Canadian marijuana activist and he is banned from working in the cannabis industry, he helped create, to punish him financially, because we dragged the government to legalisation, it is a resort choice to them, not preferred.

I was similarly punished in Canada, despite having a formidable record in sales, I couldn't find new work, because the NSA or xyz was monitoring me and directing potential employers from me. This and my arthritis are contributing factors to why I returned to Africa . Luckily, I brought some materials, but years of focusing on my health has thankfully raise my health, but left me with little to open business. I do not want to directly work with my brother or government unless with body cameras, or we risk a fight that may jeopardise our family relationship and I seriously value family. With cameras, I can defend how I deal with questionable workers he may trust over the straight truth leaning brother. Loan me money is not force or shameful, especially between brothers.

Denying loan over cannabis means I try for self, through others, and fight even harder for legalisation. We had collective responsibilities in the US+, I met such than him and was not asking his financial help. Some of his children are in the US and may benefit beyond hemp employment opportunities or less police harassment over Cannabis suspicion than crack? If any of them happen to use it, advising is better than police or pray God help them with it instead of harm them. Similarly, the Gambia is importing millions of hemp for rich sick Gambians , he now believes in medical cannabis , but sadly thinks legalising medical Cannabis is 'political suicide', so sick Gambians should be ignored until good or bad Gambians convince the government and people , or 'the Griner ' supporters argue for worldwide medical marijuana legalisation than LGBTQ ?

Economic Growth: My brother is likely mistaken, because he occasionally supports me but in what I call 'free smile ' help, the least effective type of help. I wonder which types of help make him feel like a 'hypocrite' and not others? There are three types of help in my book: free smile, rescue, and open chance. Free smile means small help and some thing that will be closer to fun, not learning or working opportunities. Ten to hundred dollars is good example and most African cultural 'responsibiities'. Rescue is self explanatory, except it means from pain, and still not including direct learning and working opportunities. When you are sick and someone pays or partially pays your bill, bail over arrest, etc are rescues. Open chance help is the best help and one hardly practice in Africa.

By now you can guess open chance help means help In learning and working opportunities, often in significant ways, including loans for business. When you can loan/give thousand, ten to hundred thousand dollars to family member or friend, then you are going higher on extended personal responsibilities and may still not know what is collective responsibilities, which is usually nationally or internationally and tends to affect millions; hardly Africans do such for now. A recipient of such open chance help may become a millionaire or at least pay back 100% and never need your help, or may even help others similarly. Occasionally, some may fail, but will they pay back 50% , 75% , to xyz % and learn what through experience ? Limited loss or even gain.

Of course a contract and study of proposals may be necessary at times, or some will marry wives or buy a house of alcohol or marijuana they cannot smoke all? Beside individuals, helps between countries should be classified similarly and very rarely do countries help in open chance. Some of the projects they consider failure in Africa are sometimes never total failure, especially if it was open chance help. We need sponsoring of higher universities than even roads or fifty million dollars conference center for poor Gambia. Although not on everyone, Cannabis tends to boost some minds and when legalised, listening to such can help on national and international affairs.

At Family level, no sane person can doubt my ability to run a tour guide company or many type of businesses. I can grow a company to be bringing millions of tourists in the Gambia, but if cannabis law or ignorance is seemingly delaying it, then I ask how many people are ostracised or denied different forms of reasonable help that may eventually help the helpers and others? Those who were denied work In the US over Cannabis are now paying taxes and we have not seen the kind of economic declined some feared. Some are happy to find cheaper medicine through cannabis than Obamacare, but big pharma is still making money. Very few industries like prison industry and alcohol are seeing a steep decline, and that may not be bad after all.

The God of cannabis is yet to realistically help me financially, but he has given me more than money, made me happier, and inspiring money making ideas He can certainly realize, but wanting to realize and by when is an open question. I have the responsibility to hope and keep on trying with or without my family, friends, and governments. Some governments are making billions on cannabis, while Gambia choose to spend millions and sadly happy over import taxes of hemp products? Hemp soil revitalisation is wiser than subsidising fertiliser from Ukraine, Russia, China, or xyz. Hemp bread, hemp paper, hemp plastic, etc are all progress we should associate with God, not Satan's handy work. Hemp may have lot more economic growth and others, but regular cannabis has proven to be medically beneficial to even 'doubters' like me. When I first started activism for marijuana,

I argued people should not be allowed to smoke to work, but only to be humbled within months or two years. In Vancouver, I had to use marijuana everyday to go to work and I had the option of calling in long term sickness to get pay from my employer or depend on the government. As the philosopher who preached Showlove Trinity: Let's learn, let's work, let's have fun; my respect for work is high and will rather use marijuana to work and contribute than sit at home to wait for help.

Once legalised and regulated, plus culture of cameras, I think many of the youths wandering will be accepted and coached towards productivity. I am not opposed to business or reasonable financial seeking, it is Godly. So let us keep trying and understand just like bigger devils can no longer deny working or business loans to marijuana folks in many US states, God can conquer the African devils and/or mistaken ones. History repeatedly showed us big devils unnecessarily deny fun to men+, bigger devils deny work to marijuana users, and biggest devils deny learning opportunities to slaves , Afghan girls, etc. So good people or saints and the Good God also value giving learning opportunities, then work and fun on his chosen ones, but may demand patience and even exhorting each other to truth with governments and family members, who may be forgiven or defeated anyhow, as per ch.103.

The US government lied no medical benefits exist in cannabis and we debunk it without seeing classified information. It really saddens me that I have to openly fight the US government over Cannabis, primarily for blacks, but only to fight with black folks in Africa, and now including blood family members? Considering my slowly learning brother/siblings is/are at least learning, we may badly clash or he/they learns more, or someone he trusts may educate him beyond religion. I think my position is Godly and the laws are hypocritical; he thinks marijuana is un-islamic , but understands it will eventually be legalised in and beyond the Gambia. I wonder if he thinks Gambia's marijuana laws versus Senegal , Saudi, Canada, etc are all Islamic or which is more Islamic? They want to delay the inevitable good or test? May God bless us with Showlove Trinity: Let's learn, let's work, let's have fun.

By Jarga Kebba Gigo
An Activist and Transformer.
Optional Note:
The religious misunderstanding about Marijuana is indeed problematic in the Gambia and the title demands a deeper study, differentiating marijuana from marijuana laws. The debate can be long whether marijuana is Islamic or not, but the marijuana laws are vividly against the signs of the Koran, conscience, and even questionable hadiths or scholars they lean on more. First, Marijuana is not the handy work of Satan and that phrase in ch.5 is there for a reason, to guide you on interpreting on the word or root word? Some Koranic words demand going to the root word, but others demand staying with the word, and the word used is alcohol (khamri).

I do not even consider marijuana as intoxicant, not medically or many of the strains I tasted. It is closer to detoxicant medically and character wise on whom the Lord wills. There are few strains that seem problematic, but only legalisation can help you most to get closer to the most beneficial or least problematic strains. Second, even if it is forbidden, it will fall under personal sins, which the Koran signs demand we advise and let God judge. We cannot legalise what is explicitly mentioned and criminalise what questionable scholars claim is implicitly included. Muhammad (pbuh) never punished Christians, Muslims, Jews of Medina over pork, alcohol, Cannabis, etc, so who are you to dictate others personal lives, especially after positive scientific evidence on millions of people? The Koran repeatedly told Muhammad (pbuh), ' you are not sent as guardian over any, but as messenger and witness...' The reason for 'not guardian' means even Muhammad have to leave some things to God, including personal sins or the Good honey Muhammad mistakenly tried to prohibit, and God showed him and us in ch. 66 (Tahrim) that even prophets cannot prohibit good things or at will...

Every truthful person is like a messenger and witness for or against some people, and God is the ultimate witness and Judge. We try hard to explain for possible learning, but if you deny our truth because we are poor, not with degrees in suits, or not white, you may learn the hard way. Those with degrees and good whites are being subdued with undeniable truth, so best you learn from your brother who saw things before many westetrn + doctors and politicians are gradually repenting. Early repentance matter and defying the top chosen ones may affect you. I happen to publicly call for marijuana legalisation in 'Top Black Agendas as America Elects ' before Obama, who is the politician who fell short and still significantly deserves credit for marijuana legalisation than any US politician? We pushed it on him and tried to do it with or without him, still pushing more than him. He said few good things about marijuana, but never urged Africa to legalise marijuana as he urged for LGBTQ, to the best of my knowledge?

No one who reads my writings will ever suggest I will knowingly do or promote sin or evil. I am ready to debate any scholar, especially on the marijuana laws than on marijuana. We can taste it together, if s/he fears even one day, then how can a coward convince a user of over a decade? Give hundred people alcohol and hundred cannabis, and see if they act differently? Marijuana is something you are admitted to at different levels and no one is guaranteed a permanent stay or level? Sometimes God wants me out or switch method of usage, and I comply for my own good. Marc Emery and many other top users have to stop marijuana at times or switch method, all pointing to God's powers and some of our truthfulness. When we experience something seemingly negative on marijuana, we are not ashamed to share it and you may echo that; when we experience mainly or only good, under acknowledge it, and fight your evident failing laws, you refuse to echo or learn. My writings hardly promote marijuana except for medical usage, but I am strongly opposed to the laws and know there is lot more good in marijuana than I first thought.

I get occasional meaningful inspirations with or without marijuana, but hardly credit marijuana on such. I may add it on many articles because the laws affect many people and legalising cannabis will help many more people, Lord be willing. So the hopeful have every reason to push for the inevitable, but does who want to delay it have questions to answer on sins between creatures, beyond atom's weight? Do you want your sibling or xyz to quit marijuana is too easy a question. Do you want or think a bleaching cop, alcoholic cop, idol worshipping judge, etc to punish your sibling or xyz over Cannabis is just, conscientious, or Islamic is the real question at hand.

Those who want us to be in prison, the worst place, over Cannabis are not our family, even if related by blood, or why God told Noah 'your son is not part of your family'. ' God may bring peace with those you at enmity with', is consoling, especially on an opponent who you wish well. So we will always speak Truth , and patiently wait for God. We know speaking truth is our responsibility, from personal to collective responsibilities; we know spreading and/o accepting truth comes with prize or reward, denying truth can lead to price or punishment.

God is the ultimate one testing us all and will legalise marijuana worldwide, or why the shameful defeat in the US despite both Trump and Biden are reluctantly for marijuana? It was written, 'the devil will threaten you with poverty'; but also 'people will be on something that seems like alcohol, but it is not alcohol'; another verse: 'no soul will have no power over another', including drunkards or bleaching cops arresting marijuana folks.

It is a gradual process, the Lord of freedom is conquering with whom he wills and can enrich us with or without the anti cannabis folks. We have clearly shown how marijuana laws harm and no one can list the good it does, except illusory 'protection' that regulations can do better. Stop debating if marijuana is good or bad, think and debate the effects of marijuana laws across persons, families, and countries. May we Triumph lot more and soonest.

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