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.