Yes it would. And that is being dealt with in the impending legislation along with allowing the small farmers to not be pushed out by large commercial interests. The issues are quite complex...Originally Posted by negril#1fan
Yes it would. And that is being dealt with in the impending legislation along with allowing the small farmers to not be pushed out by large commercial interests. The issues are quite complex...
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I would refute the statement that stopping smoking would destroy the tourist industry. I don't know where some of you live but the Ganga is available everywhere. You don't need to travel to negril or Jamaica to smoke, I think it's more than that for some on here. Negril and ganja and meeting up with fellow boar dies is a lifestyle choice.
Many, many tourists go to negril every year and don't smoke weed, and most wouldn't dare to try. FGS a lot if them won't even step foot out of their AI, unless it's on an organised activity or to go back to the airport. Negril would not collapse and die without the smokers.
It's the same old argument " without us, negril, would be nothing" well negril existed before the hippies of the 60's , it existed before tourism, and it would exist after. I could do as you did and throw in a few mavado song lines to prove my point, but hay.
not putting down the benefits tourism brings to the island, but there is more to life there. Not one of my family in negril, and surrounding areas works in the tourism industry, and they make a living and they don't sell Ganja either.
No one is scolding anyone, this is a discussion, debate on a few issues,no?
I think if we just remember that Jamaica is the same as home, people smoke weed, but keep it to their private homes, or establishments where it is the norm.
Don't buy drugs from strangers, that's foolish, and I've never seen a post on a public forum where an op has asked where and how to buy illegal substances safely. That shows a high level of both foolishness and inexperience IMO.
You can't smoke it in public places or walking down the street. In fact in the UK you couldn't smoke a cigarette in public places.
And my last point would be don't complain if your approached all the time to buy weed if your a smoker, that's just laughable!
Last edited by Westenders; 05-19-2014 at 09:45 AM.
And yes Westenders it was the Hippies who opened up Negril as a tourist destination in the 60's. Before they arrived Negril was simply a sleepy little fishing village that not even easily accessible from other parts of the island. Only the " Roots Negril People" inhabited the area with very few outside families. There were maybe two or three residents living there who weren't born there. The herb trade assisted in opening things up and building roads so that the herb trade could be facilitated. Many of the roads were built by the residents themselves for this very reason.
There were the days when the Rastas would go down to the round about and use the Ganga plant as a broom to sweep it out. When Manley went to Negril the people lined the Boulevard holding their finest herb plants. Herb has very much been a part of this culture dating back to the days of slavery and that's not all bad because if you are unable to identify with your culture you have nothing. Although it is true there are many more Jamaicans that don't smoke herb than those that do it has never been as taboo as it was here in America before it became legal in many areas.
I am in favour of total legalization for the people of Jamaica so that it can create the revenue for Jamaicans that we are seeing in Colorado. I believe the Jamaican government also has a good understanding of this. I just read an article in the Huffington Post that states that crime has decreased 5.9 percent from this time last year since the legalization of cannabis in Colorado.
I also am elated that this topic is open for discussion in many areas of the United States because of the wave of legalization that has swept across our Country. There is also a very different vibe when smoking herb in Jamaica than there is here although both vibes are good. In Jamaica you have the sea, the music, the people and the overall "No Problem" vibe.
Some valid points Rob.
I hope I'm recognized for giving safe information.
I wouldn't have gotten on the "soap box" if the thread hadn't taken on the tone of "killing the goose that laid the golden egg."
Compared to all of the things adults can indulge in it seems ridiculous to criminalize or condemn the burning and sniffing of a harmless, little "herb stalk".
I'll happily repeat this any time anyone asks:
Negril has two salient charms; one is the "Negril Vibe(discussed above)", the other is the charming people who welcome the tourists, it's quite possible they are one and the same.
There are a lot of beaches in the Caribbean, but there is only one Negril.
That rug really tied the room together.
There really are many people looking at this board, most of them guests who aren't posting here.
94 members and 626 guests
http://negril.com/forum/online.php (You can see what people are looking at, even as folks are in the process of registering)
Lola is correct - at this present second there are 756 Users Online reading (95 members and 661 guests) - so guests (non-registered members) always out number the registered members, today being about 6 to 1...
Negril.com - For the vacation that never ends!
The Mayan Riviera has the same beaches and climate as Negril and arguably a better reef eco-system, but the Mayan Riviera lacks the warm welcome one receives in Negril.
The M/R is also also a lot more up tight.
The last time I was in Playa Del Carmen I noticed a cop leaning against an alley wall, there was an Uzi dangling from a lanyard around his neck.
My point is something sets Negril apart and I believe that something is the laid back attitude and warmth of the folks who welcome us there.
Westender do you really think Negril would be the same vibrant Negril if it's only guests were the AI crowd?
That rug really tied the room together.
I've been reading this thread, trying to decide if I should add my two cents or not... So here goes...
There are many reasons I keep coming back to Negril... for me, one of the most important reason is the availability of "subs" (Not the quality of said "subs", but the availability) and the fact that I can sit at my hotel, or at some bars, and partake as if it was legal.
It's not the ONLY reason - but most, if not all of the other reasons (The food, the friendly people, the beaches, etc) can be had elsewhere. I've been to Mexico numerous times, travelled the Caribbean, and keep ending up back in Jamaica.
We haven't been back in about a year, because we decided to skip our twice yearly trip to Negril and save up, and just spent 15 nights in Amsterdam, my second visit there in 5 years.
If they were to fully legalize, I would expect that the quality of the "subs" would skyrocket, as would accomodations specifically for people who eat "subs". A Caribbean Amsterdam, so to speak. (Which isn't what we have in Colorado - you can buy it, but you've got to smoke it at home)
Yes, I can smoke at home. What I can't do at home is enjoy my smoke out in the open... while it's illegal in Jamaica, there are plenty of places where it is safe to sit and smoke... on my balcony, watching the sunrise with a cup of amazing coffee... some bars are more than happy to have you smoke and enjoy a beer, same with some restaurants... Being able to enjoy a smoke the way others enjoy a beer is priceless.
Now, that being said, I have to add something... I keep seeing people talk about how it's the "vibe" of Negril and "the locals" who make it such a "chill, laid back place"... I have to call "bull****" on some of that. We forget the men who grab your wife's hand, not letting go, holding tighter as she tries to pull away, until I realize whats happening and intervene, all the time trying to sell something whether its a trinket, or weed, or bracelets, or something. The hustlers on the beach, who even after being told NO continue to bother you every time you walk by (lets just say my appearance is somewhat distinctive, they know they've asked me already).. Bartenders who "tell" you that you're buying them a beer... guys who are all smiling and happy to your face, then turn to their friends and start talking **** in patois about you (I know what a bumbleclot is, thanks)...
That being said, when not being bothered/harassed, I love the place, not just for the ganja. I get what everyone means by the "vibe"... but we are pretending that there aren't instances where that "vibe" gets shattered, if only for a moment... and then back to your "sub" and/or red stripe... The truth is, my wife goes along because she knows how much I love it - but she HATES the hustlers, and ONE stressful interaction can ruin her whole day and make it impossible for her to relax. I do my best to shield her from it, but without fail, if I let me guard down for a minute someone is approaching her, and at times SCARING her. Yes, she's a bit timid and gets uncomfortable more easily than I do - but what does it say about "the people" if on an almost daily basis my wife is feeling uncomfortable? And I'm not talking about when doing things like buying "subs"... I'm talking about when we're at a bar and I walk away to use the bathroom... or she waits outside while I run into a store for some supplies... or walking the cliff road to go to a restaurant... common every day things... If it was up to her we would go A/I and never leave the resort.
@Harry,
Interesting insights!
Though they leave me feeling like a wallflower.
I've run into some minimal street hustling, but nothing that brushed me back from the plate.
I've been in Negril with two different women (both were serious relationships) and never run into these problems you've outlined.
. . . and this while being out socially with GerryG.
I'm thinking I go to bed too early . . . which I guess takes us back to ganga(sp? Ganges = Ganga?).
Hoho!
That rug really tied the room together.
To each his own, Jamaica enables one to experience this aspect of life enjoy relax. just chill..............Lacdeloo
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