...“Weed makes me fly wid out visa”, are words from a popular song by the renowned dance hall artist Adijah Palmer. This is typical of the messages that are conveyed through the lyrics of many popular Jamaican songs today, but is this the most rewarding use of marijuana? Would the development of a medical marijuana industry prove more beneficial to Jamaica? Would the decriminalization of marijuana in order for such an industry to be enacted be economically viable? Other questions to ask ourselves are, what is Decriminalization and how would decriminalization of marijuana help with enacting a medical marijuana industry? According to the Merriam-Webster decriminalization means “to remove or reduce the criminal classification or status of; especially: to repeal a strict ban on while keeping under some form of regulation”. Marijuana currently is a banned drug in Jamaica and for Jamaica to develop a medical marijuana industry which would therefore means large scale production of the drug for scientific research and medicine production. The drug would have to be legalized on a certain level to facilitate such. Note in the above definition for decriminalization it made mention of the drug being kept under some form of regulation which for this research basically means certain punitive usage of the drug would still be rendered as illegal. The scope of this research paper will cover areas such as, the economic state of the country and its ability to facilitate and withstand such an industry...
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...------------------------------------------------- SYMBOLS FOR RASTAS’ RASTA FLAG THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH THE STAR OF DAVID DREADLOCKS MARIJUANA LEAVES ------------------------------------------------- MORE INFORMATION ABOUT RASTAFIANISM Ganja (Marijuana) Ganja was brought to Jamaica in the late 1800's by indentured East Indians, who were brought to the Island to work after slavery ended. Eventually it was outlawed and made illegal. The Jamaican environment and climate was the perfect place for the plant to grow. The use of ganja in Jamaica is not unique to Rastafarians. Before Rastafari began, ganja was used by herbalists in Jamaica as a medicine in teas. It was also mixed with tobacco for smoking. Ganja is considered the "wisdom weed" by Rastafarians, as its use helps one to gain wisdom. Rastafarians use it as a part of a religious rite and as a means of getting closer to their inner spiritual self, Jah (God) and Creation. Marijuana and Other Rasta Symbols-Body-4 Ganja is also seen by Rastafarians as the herb of life mentioned in the Bible. Rastafarians use of ganja is justified by the following Psalms 104:14 that say, "He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle and herb for the service of man, that he may bring forth food out of the earth." Rastafarians also say it was found growing at the grave of King Solomon in the Bible. Rastafarian consumes it through smoking and eating (not recommended). The smoking of Ganja is a part of a...
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...Abstract Left blank intentionally. JAMAICA Jamaica is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea, comprising the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles. Jamaica has a long history of census taking, and currently holds a census every ten years. The last census took place in July 2011, which showed a total of 2,697,983 residents in the country. The largest cities in Jamaica with populations as of 2011 are: Kingston (Kingston Parish): 937,000, Portmore (Saint Catherine): 182,000 Spanish Town (Saint Catherine): 147,000, Montego Bay (Saint James): 110,000. Jamaicans of African descent represent 76.3% of the population, followed by 15.1% Afro-European, 3.4% East Indian and Afro-East Indian, 3.2% Caucasian, 1.2% Chinese and 0.8% other. The official language of Jamaica is English. Jamaicans primarily speak an English-African Creole language known as Jamaican, which has become known widely through the spread of Reggae music. The Jamaican dialect was formed from a base of mainly English words with elements of re-formed grammar, together with a little vocabulary from African languages and Native American words. Some archaic features are reminiscent of Irish English. The first Jamaicans were the Taino Indians who settled in Jamaica around 600 AD. They were Stone Age people who had migrated to Jamaica from the northern coast of South America. After living continuously in Jamaica for almost 900 years, the Tainos were wiped out within 50 years of the Spanish conquest...
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...Jamaica 1 Overview of Country Jamaica is an island nation in the West Indies. The capital of Jamaica is Kingston. It lies about 480 miles south of Florida and is the third largest island in the Caribbean Sea. The only two island that are larger that is Cuba and Hispaniola. (The World Book Encyclopedia vol 11) Jamaica was inhabited by the Arawak Indians, who were the first people to live in Jamaica named the island Xaymaca, which means land of wood and water. They based their communites on fishing, hunting, and small scale cultivation of cassava. Due to the appearance of the Spanish the Arawak Indians disappeared in 70-80 years. The disruption of the economic system, new diseases, and migration decimated the population. When the Spanish took over the island they were disappointed with the absence of gold on the island the Spanish used Jamaica as a base for supporting the conquest of the Americas, with its treasures of gold and silver. (www.jamaicans.com) In 1655, Jamaica was captured by the British expedition led by Admirals Penn and Venables and they gain possession in 1670. It was very little the Spanish did to defend it from the British because of lack of gold and silver. They fight African slaves which they called Maroons. The British and Maroons signed a peace treaty in 1738. Sugar became the major crop, and the island ranked as it’s most important slave market in the Western...
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... 9 Acknowledgement I would like to take this opportunity to thank the almighty God, who through Him all things are possible. I would also like to express my gratitude towards all the persons who have assisted me throughout the completion of my research. To my teacher Mrs.B.Wheatle for her guidance, patience and motivation. My classmates for their undying competition. My mother, Camille Lewis for allowing me the time to explore and investigate data. And at last but not least my aunt Venessa Ferguson for her insights. Introduction Rastafarianism is an afro-centric religious and social movement based in the Caribbean island of Jamaica. The Rastafarian symbols are important tools to the Rasta’s and...
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...Subject: Caribbean Studies Territory: Jamaica Year: 2011-2012 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the CAPE Caribbean Studies Syllabus Problem Statement An investigation into the effects of substance abuse as a cultural habit on the health of students at Manchester High School within the age group 14- 20. Research Questions * What are the types of substances mainly abused? * How has substance abuse become a cultural habit? * What are the most devastating health effects of substance abuse? * What are the possible solutions to reduce the number of students who indulge in substance abuse? Rationale Substance abuse is a growing trend amongst teenagers including those at Manchester High and being within that age group, the researcher’s interest was generated to uncover how substance abuse as a cultural habit affects one’s health. The researcher’s aim is to educate the readers about these habits and highlight the reasons youths are involved thus identifying ways to solve the problems. The researcher also aims to fulfill the outlined requirements of the CAPE Caribbean Studies course. Delimitations The research is delimited to the effects of substances abuse from the perspectives of fourth to sixth form students at Manchester High School, located at 4 Perth Road, Mandeville Manchester. The sample size chosen was twenty (20) participants between the ages of 14-20 of both genders, which are essentially fourth to sixth form students...
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...Ganja (Marijuana) Ganja was brought to Jamaica in the late 1800’s by indentured East Indians, who were brought to the Island to work after slavery ended. Eventually it was outlawed and made illegal. The Jamaican environment and climate was the perfect place for the plant to grow. The use of ganja in Jamaica is not unique to Rastafarians. Before Rastafari began, ganja was used by herbalists in Jamaica as a medicine in teas. It was also mixed with tobacco for smoking. Ganja is considered the “wisdom weed” by Rastafarians, as its use helps one to gain wisdom. Rastafarians use it as a part of a religious rite and as a means of getting closer to their inner spiritual self, Jah (God) and Creation. Ganja is also seen by Rastafarians as the herb of life mentioned in the Bible. Rastafarians use of ganja is justified by the following Psalms 104:14 that says, “He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle and herb for the service of man, that he may bring forth food out of the earth.” Rastafarians also say it was found growing at the grave of King Solomon in the Bible. Rastafarian consume it through smoking and eating (not recomended). The smoking of Ganja is a part of a religious ritual. When there is a large “reasoning” gathering of Rastafarians, a Chalice, which is a large smoking pipe, may be passed around and smoked. This is similar to the passing around of a communion cup by some Christian denominations. These gatherings are also called Nyahbinghi (also the name of a Rastafarian...
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...Jamaica: The Rastafarian Movement Introduction to the Rastafari Phenomenon By Nathaniel Samuel Murrell Seldom has such a relatively small cultural phenomenon as Rastafari attracted so much attention from young people, the media, and scholars in the fields of religion, anthropology, politics, and sociology. The signature long, natty dreads on the heads of Rastafarians, who fearlessly chant down Babylon (Western political and economic domination and cultural imperialism) with the help of reggae music, make Rastafari a highly visible movement and "one of the most powerful cultural forces among youths in Jamaica" and in countries around the world where one least expects to find elements of Afro-Caribbean culture. Between the 1930s and the 1950s, few people bothered to study the significance of the political and ideological concepts in Rastafarian culture. Even Jamaicans who may have understood the philosophy of the movement regarded Rastafari as another passing fad, which would die a natural death once the novelty wore off. Former Rastafarian and practicing psychologist Leahcim Tefani Semaj noted that during this phase of the movement, the dominant public opinion toward the Rastafarians was "The damn Rasta dem, wey de Rasta dem want, we just put dem in a damn boat and put dem out in the sea and sink the boat-say dem want go Africa!" Prior to the 1970s, images of the unsanitary-looking, marijuana-smoking "Natty Dread" with unkempt dreadlocks, often controlling...
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...Many people throughout the world have a hard time understanding what it means to be a Rasta. For some their troubles in understanding Rasta’s come because they look at Rastafari as only a religion. When one does this they run into many problems. This is because Rastafari is much more than a religion. It is a way of life, a social movement, as well as a mind set. Another reason why western people have a hard time understanding Rastafari is because the movement lacks the structure that the western world is use to. A lot of people’s understanding of Rasta’s only goes as far as to think that Rasta’s are people that live in Jamaica, smoke weed, and have Dreadlocks. These people do not begin to think what is behind the movement. The Development of Rastafari The Rastafari movement stems from the teachings of the great Jamaican leader and motivator of masses, Marces Garvey. Garvey told the African people of the world to unite and to return to African, the homeland. Garvey’s vision was for the “Blacks to overcome their feelings of inferiority and build upon their own unique and evolving culture, and ultimately return to Africa to redeem their homeland and to build a future”(Dubb. Pg2) Garvey’s vision and ability to unite people made the Jamaican people enlightened to what was going on in the world. Garvey created the U.N.I.A. and the Negro World newspaper, which helped to inform the Jamaicans of what was going on in the African world. Garvey told his followers, “Look towards...
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...Introduction “Up, you mighty race, accomplish what you will.” Marcus Garvey Rastafarianism is a religious movement born out of black slums of Jamaica which harnessed the teachings of the Jamaican born black nationalists, Marcus Garvey and conditionally uses selective Old Testament Christian writings to support its teachings and practices. Among Jamaican society, members of the Rastafarian movement were commonly perceived as social outcasts because of their anti-establishment way of life and their pride in identifying themselves as people of African ancestry. The inspiration which led to its genesis in the 1930’s was Messianic or millenarian in nature has been sustained and pervaded by a sense of African triumphalism. Although physical repatriation to Africa has not been fulfilled as Garvey or the founding Rastafarianism originally hoped, followers learned the “idea of Africa as home” can be a psychologically, culturally and spiritually empowering experience- all of which are important ingredients for creating positive ethno-racial self- conceptions of self and community. (Singh 2001) To participate in a form of active engagement towards liberation, Rastafarianism practice “reasonings”. The purpose is to heighten awareness by discussing local and worldly issues in an open communal environment and also emulating what theologian and educator Paulo Freire called conscientization. Conscientization arouse people’s consciousness and sense of self-redemption from the bottom up...
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...NAME colene NAME OF SCHOOL: western mm high CENTER NUMBER: 4467 TERRITORY: Jamaica YEAR: 2013 TEACHER: Miss blackitonemanson TITLE OF RESEARCH: What are the major symbols in the Rastafarian Religion? * Identify the major symbols in the Rastafarian religion. * Describe how each symbol is used. * Assess the significance of each symbol to the Rastafarian community. The data was collected between the periods of July 10-19, 2012. The researcher visited the St Ann’s bay parish library where the researcher found information on the beliefs and symbols of the Rastafarian religion in the test books present. The internet was also used to obtain some of the information. On the 5th of August, an interview was done between the researcher and Mr. Abejah Smith who lives in Runaway Bay, St Ann. He was asked questions that were previously prepared by the researcher .answers received were documented. PICTURE 1 Rastafarian Dreadlocks. PICTURE 2 The Marijuana plant PICTURE 3 The Rastafarian Flag. PICTURE 4 The Conquering lion of Judah. PICTURE showing some the Rastafarian tams PICTURE showing a suit made of the Rastafarian colours. PICTURE showing a woman wearing the dress which is made with the Rastafarian colours. PICTURE showing a Rasta man smoking. RASTA BRACELET RASTA NECLACE LEATAHER RASTA BRACELET COCO EARING ...
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...way. The most famous Rastafarian and Reggae artist of them all was Bob Marley. His way of expressing his political opinions and messages in hit songs not only influenced in Jamaica, it had an impact on the entire world. He gave Rastafari an international identity and is the reason some people converted. Famous groups like the Rudeboys and Maytals helped Reggae to become what it is today. Reggae music was not always the most popular form of music in Jamaica. Reggae was influenced by the music genre of Jazz that was sweeping the nation. A lot of Jamaicans used Jazz to entertain the tourists. In the 1950’s Jazz Bebop became the new fad music for the youth of Jamaica and Jazz orchestras weren’t as common as in years past. In the 1960’s Ska was introduced and was the first style of music created by Jamaicans, this gave them a sense of identity. Ska was created by working class Jamaicans and they used it to express themselves and tell their stories. It was important because R&B singles weren’t being released as often, and didn’t attract as many listeners as it once did. Ska music consisted of the combination of Caribbean mento, calypso, and Jazz. The main reason for Ska’s popularity was because the music fit the moods of the time. People had the mind state to accept anything unique to Jamaica especially because they just got their independence. The only downside of Ska music was that it was very fast and people exerted so much energy so they couldn’t stay on the...
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...(October 16, 2016; 7:51 pm) http://digjamaica.com/rastafarianism Rastafarianism began in Jamaica during the 1930s after the crowing of Ras Tafari as Negus of Ethiopia, “King of Kings”. After the coronation his title was changed to Emperor Haile Selassie I. Selassie also took the titles, "Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Elect of God and King of the Kings of Ethiopia." This coronation was regarded as the fulfillment of a prophecy by black political leader, Marcus Garvey, that “Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God”, which is based on verse 31 of Psalm 68 of the Bible. This prophecy became the foundation of the Rastafari movement. The religion takes its name from Haile Selassie's original name, Ras Tafari Makonnen. Selassie is regarded by Rastafarians as the Black Messiah or Jah Rastafari. He is the central figure of salvation who will save blacks from white suppressors and reunite them with their homeland, Africa. LEADERS OF RASTA Leonard P. Howell is said to have had the greatest impact on the development of Rastafarian ideology in Jamaica in the 1930s. Howell, who had served in the third Ashanti War between England and Ghana in the Gold Coast in 1901, preached the divinity of Haile Selassie and said that blacks would gain the superiority over their oppressors, who are referred to as ‘Babylon’. THE ROYAL VISIT In 1966, after persons who had heard of Haile Selassie’s visit to Trinidad requested that he make a stopover...
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...The Blunt Truth Many people wonder what marijuana is and if it should it be legalized. Marijuana comes from the hemp plant, it is the dried leaves of female flowers. Marijuana has been called a gateway drug for years, making many people believe that if they use it they will then become addicted to hard drugs. However, unlike cigarettes that contain tobacco and other illegal drugs such as speed, cocaine, and heroin, marijuana is not addictive. Marijuana is a misunderstood plant that many people assume is dangerous. The usage of marijuana (also known as cannabis) can actually be very beneficial not only to oneself but also to their country. The legalization of marijuana in the United States would benefit the States society economically, socially, and medically. The economic benefits that the legalization of marijuana would bring to the U.S are enormous. Oregon, Colorado, and Washington have already legalized marijuana for both medical and recreational use. When the rest of the U.S legalizes marijuana and places the high tax on it, it will create a larger budget for every state. In the state of Colorado, According to the article Experimenting with Pot: The State of Colorado's Legalization of Marijuana “By regulate marijuana like alcohol the state collect about $134 million in taxes from medical and recreational marijuana sales in fiscal year 2014-2015” HICKENLOOPER, G. W. (2014). If all of the states in the U.S was able to bring in at least that much extra revenue imagine what...
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...Chaed Ellison November 5, 2013 Communications 100 Linda Daugs Jamaica Although a small island in the Caribbean Sea, Jamaica is a melting pot of cultures from all around the world. From the beginning, the island was inhabited by ancient tribes with different customs, beliefs and backgrounds. Since Jamaica is located in the central Caribbean, it became a key port for ships stop and sail from island to island. Because of this, Jamaica was able to be influenced from countries such as China, India, England and Spain. In this essay you will be informed on why the food, people and tourist attractions make Jamaica what it is today. Jamaican cuisine is a melting pot reflecting the various cultures that have influenced the island over the years. But even with all this fusion, there are many local ingredients that stand out in dishes, most notably the hot and spicy Scotch bonnet peppers that are key to any good "jerk." Jerk pork or chicken is Jamaica's national dish. Pork or chicken is seasoned with Scotch Bonnet peppers along with thyme, onions and scallions. Then the meat is wrapped in pimento leaves and cooked slowly for 6-8 hours. Traditional jerk is cooked in a pit with hot coals, however most places take an easier route and prepare the meat on a pimento wood rack over hot coals on a grill or in an oven. Despite the warm weather, Jamaicans love hearty hot soups. Pepperpot soup is packed with leafy green callaloo while creamy pumpkin soup has a more delicate taste. Brown chicken...
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