Timothy blames some social problems on marijuana

Minister for Health Julius Timothy says the use of marijuana is to blame for some of the social problems in Dominica.

Authorities have been calling on citizens to be more tolerant in the wake of incidents of criminal activity in the country. And Timothy told those gathered at an activity of the Acute Psychiatric Unit at the weekend that the intake of marijuana by Dominican youth is increasing.

“When we see our young people’s tolerance level, I think the problem is primarily from marijuana,” Timothy said, while indicating clearly his statement is not backed by research.

“I do not know how much research has gone into it but I live in the community, and I see what happens every day and I think our lack of tolerance for each other comes directly from the increase in marijuana intake.

“We all grew up with our parents taking some alcohol and the social problems we are having today. We did not have that in our time,” the health minister added.

The Ministry of Health says its plan for greater integration of the National Drug Abuse Prevention Unit and the Acute Psychiatric Unit this year will enhance efforts to control drug abuse in Dominica.

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30 Comments

  1. bonnie911
    May 17, 2012

    Having a minister of health spout what he thinks versus what is hard core fact is the biggest crime I have read in this paper today. Shame on you Mr. Minister of Health!

    • Dalton Charles
      May 17, 2012

      thank you bonnie, i wish we would actually do something about that joe of a government

  2. Dalton Charles
    May 17, 2012

    it seems we have a health minister who not too knowledgeable on health issues, sumtin wrong wit that right, not just me dat find we cud do better, rite, it not d 90’s no more, EVERYBODY should know by now marijuana is not the evil, youth killing, “drug” we used to label it as for far too long, it is a plant, all plants have their use, You have guts mr minister, to talk about one of gods creatures like that, i guess u no better than him.

  3. Anonymous
    May 17, 2012

    why allu doe talkin about all d damn cocaine dat in d country, so much young man on coke, dat not a problem, everybody i know, in my age group, smokes marijuana, i do not know any crazy people, i know, everybody knowss someone who smokes marijuana, is that person a bad person, julius, get some real research on marijuana. maybe it could even help u wisen up

  4. phaucit
    January 13, 2011

    there is a saying you can’t blame the yout. then who gonna take the blame? i guess all of us.We keep failing the yout year in year out then blame there behaviour drugs.Most of these yout dont have a job ,have no form of income ,disfontional home.surely the result is alcol and drug abuse.Far to long we have neglected the getto youts of this contry, especially the ones that did not make it to high school,its like they are destin to fail all there lives.Some of these other youts they live school and still cant find nothing to do.When you dont take care of your youts your society. who knows what will happen ? stop the blame game and find solutions to our problems.

    • Dalton Charles
      May 17, 2012

      let dem no wi bro, dem man in der comfortable home, dem man doe no nuttin bout hustlin to eat, or pay ur bills, den tellin man doe smoke a ting to ease dey stress, dominica sad :(

  5. amonrah kobadi
    January 12, 2011

    This man is a minister. god help dominica. when we have people in office with such title as minister making such elementery statements, its easy to understand why we have such problems in the country. only an educated full would make such a retarded statement. i pray that none of my friends read this garbage because i am always braging about my country and how smart my people are. finally, i recomend that this retarded minister smoke some weed because if he do, his would be wiser and no more will he make such retarded statement.

  6. naturalplant
    January 12, 2011

    herb is for the use of man
    it uplifts the mind to a hieghts intune with the Most High
    it neva kill no body it is used as medicine is parts of USA,Holland
    stop fight cannabis sativa when dem sell drugs in their phamacy

    • well
      January 12, 2011

      well i suspect ur brain fry already.

      • SHABEH
        January 13, 2011

        TAKES 1 TO KNOW 1

      • naturalplant
        January 13, 2011

        who say ganja fry brain stop believing nonesense and search and find fee uself let no one destroy wat the creator created,they make all kinda drugs in their lab some even contain marijuana and ppl use dem everyday why fight a natural plant dont u know u fighting the creator
        moses behold the almighty in the burning bush in reality i see is weed he smoke and get wise but they create the illusion that he see a tree cetch fire and in the flame he see a face appear and talk to him but personally if is me that see that happen i running as fast as i can far from it
        u can fool someppl sometime but u cant fool all the ppl all the time

  7. trupatriot
    January 12, 2011

    nobody blames the problems on the hard drugs, someone does something bad when they are high on crack not going to say to the police ‘ i was high on crack/ cocaine…’ . it’s easier to say i just smoked a 5 bag.. looking 4 the easy way out….
    The effects of marijuana is based on ones state of mind, the pple who smoke weed and fool around are usually those that, being normal does the same thing..
    Get rid of the hard drugs, then we can compare your time with our time.. peace Mr minister.

  8. Playboy
    January 12, 2011

    People like TimTim should do their own objective research before they open their trap.

    !) a recent study in the U.k., alcohol was number 1, numero uno, of all the dangerous drugs, legal and illegal, that were among a huge number included in the study.

    2) I dare Mr. Timothy to compare the economic cost to Dominica of alcohol vs, marijuana. There is no comparison: alcohol costs us an arm and a leg compared to weed. This includes loss in productivity, medical costs, social degradation, just to name a few.

    3)Were there all these crimes and executions when weed was practically the only ‘drug’ in widespread use, or was it since the advent of things like crack/cocaine?

    4) the people whom weed affects for the most part are those who are mentally ill or have a risk factor, like family history, for becoming so.

    Weed induces psychological, not physical dependence. Go and read up on this or get a competent psychiatrist to explain to you, TIm Tim, not the one who works for you; this is a reason weed IS NOT A PROBLEM.

    • March 20, 2015

      Playboy:

      Your comment is misleading and harmful.

      If Alcohol causes Dominica more than marijuana it is because more alcohol is consumed. This means marijuana has the potential for greater financial loss to the country. This is exactly what you would get if
      it was decriminalized.

      Since marijuana was the only drug available (besides alcohol) other drugs have become available on the island. These ”hard” drugs such as crack and cocaine may cost the nation more (police wages, court costs, jail time, etc.) But it should be understood that that marijuana is a gateway drug. Many people would never have touched crack or cocaine if they had not been introduced to the drug scene by trying their first joint of marijuana.

      Marijuana is BOTH psychologically and physically addictive. The idea that it is ONLY psychologically addictive is outdated.

      Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. International Evangelist. (Diploma in Drug Studies)

  9. kalinago to the bone
    January 12, 2011

    If jobs are created for youths then they will not turn to marijauna they are out of school and have nothing to do .do something about jobs!

  10. very sad
    January 12, 2011

    I copied and pasted this from a offical medical web site, of course smokers are going to say it is rubbish, but it is not,i have seen some one very close to me lose everything because of smoking weed, they where an amazing person before, fabulous business man, wonderful personality, then the weed got into his life and he lost it all, plus his wife, whom he had been married to for 18 years, i should know i was the wife, so all you people who are in denial about weed then you are wrong, and super paranoid as weed makes you.

    Marijuana and social behaviour
    Using marijuana on a long term basis can affect social skills and behaviour. This spills over into day to day living and cause a range of problems.

    It can affect your ability to function on a daily basis.

    People who smoke large doses of marijuana may find that they have become reliant on this drug. They have developed an addiction and experience withdrawal symptoms if they stop.

    So they continue to use marijuana to retain control.

    This causes changes in attitude and behaviour which are noticed by everyone apart from the user him/her self. They become totally focused upon their need for the drug that they behave in a way which is contrary to their normal behaviour.

    Changes in behaviour
    For example, they may change from an outgoing, sociable and upbeat person to someone who is quiet, withdrawn and prefers his/her own company.

    They may prefer to spend all their time indoors, smoking marijuana rather than actively participating in society. Their schoolwork suffers. Their performance at work drops off and there is an increase in the amount of time they take off.

    They lack energy and motivation. Any work they undertake they do with a lack of focus and commitment or make frequent errors. The work they do is of poor quality and unacceptable.

    Accidents are more likely to happen which can have serious consequences. For example if this occurs in a dangerous job or one that involves working with complex equipment/machinery, e.g. factory.

    Their physical and mental health suffers in the long term.

    Other social effects include loss of friendships, lack of consideration for others and anti-social behaviour such as crime.

    Anyone who becomes addicted may turn to theft or other means to pay for their habit.

    • doggy
      January 12, 2011

      very sad do you want me to smoke crack like you fool.

      • very sad
        January 12, 2011

        doggy i dont even smoke cigarett like you weed smoking idiot, now like ya name doggy go back to ya nasty kennel

        • SHABEH
          January 13, 2011

          Hmmmmm u have the man lead u to name calling lol who’s the idiot???

  11. just facts
    January 12, 2011

    I find it quite fascinating that the Minister of Health would be giving us his thoughts and not emperical evidence. Thoughts will not point the way to the solution of the problems that plague our youths and the nation. The minister should establish a research unit that will provide the empericism that is needed to make judgements on the programmes.

    Personally I Don’t and have never smoked anything but a lot of my friends in the 70s and 80s were very heavy smokers. Not one of them stole, raped, was a vagrant nad so on. they all lead very decent lives now. I am not saying that ganga did not affect them one way or the other but they did not lose their heads on it. Like everything else it has to do with how each individual body reacts to the use of the herb.

    What I am interested though and one of the changes that I know between the users of ganga now and those before is that most smokers now mix the weed with other drugs. One of those is high leaf. I think the effects of high leaf should be investigated because any biochemist will tell you that high leaf is one of the most powerful and addictive drugs. Smokers just cant seem to smoke ganga without miixing up the high leaf. Am sure we will find some answers there

  12. truly
    January 11, 2011

    timtim i think you should start smoking weed to brighten up your senses cause you are speaking rubbish

  13. coyote
    January 11, 2011

    the minister talking rubbish,everybody knows alcohol tends to make most people violent.whereas
    marijuana makes one chill out and meditate .I know i speak from experience, every time i’ve been in
    trouble it is partly because i was drunk. The problem is not weed ,it is the lack of hope ,opportunity,
    education .The young people in Dominica have a lot of built up frustration,and they tend to let it out any chance they get. Unfortunately it’s usually directed at their fellow Dominicans. The solution to the problem is EDUCATION,JOBS,HOUSING AND HOPE ,YES HOPE.

  14. AS I SEE IT
    January 11, 2011

    WELL Mr MINISTER OF HEALTH YOU ALL R THE ONES THAT SAID IT
    WE ARE MOVING TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
    AND WELL POSTED BY THE DOMINICA LABOUR PARTY MOVING UP
    TO THE NEXT LEVEL SO DONT BLAME IT ON DRUGS YOUR PRIME MINISTER
    SHOULD BE BLAMED BECAUSE ONCE YOU R CONTROLING THE POLICE FORCE
    AND PREVENT SOME OF THEM IN EXECUTING THEIR DUTIES TO MAINTAIN LAW AND ORDER
    THE MORAL OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DROP TO LIKE ZERO.
    SO CLEAN UP SHOP LET THE POLICE DO THEIR WORK AND JUST STAY IN YOUR DIRTY
    COURUPTIONS AND RACKETS YOU ALL HAVE GOING ON IN DA.

  15. smokey
    January 11, 2011

    people have the wrong idea about this herb,you are not allow to smoke anything. this herb is best when drink.my grandmother use to boil the leaves and root of this herb and never use to have any problem with her health…

  16. zandoli
    January 11, 2011

    It is quite obvious that the minister is not an authority on this subject albeit he confirms this in the statement. Without the backing of empirical research one cannot simply make such statements as they only confirm their ignorance.

    Marijuana use has been in the community for many years and to blame the current crime mutation on cannabis is unfounded. Throughout the world today, reviews of the impact of marijuana consumption shows very real negative tendencies hence the reason why softer classifications of the drug result. Below is a piece of information on cannabis from the Canadian government available at …http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/canadasenate/vol1/chapter6_cannabis_violence_and_crime.htm

    Since his testimony, Professor Brochu has released the study he mentioned to the Committee.[2][56]

    We can examine the drug-crime relationship from at least three angles: the effects of the substance itself, the effects of the cost of the substance, and the drug’s position in the criminal world.

    A significant proportion of offenders have psychoactive substance abuse problems, predominantly with alcohol. In fact, the study concludes that alcohol is the substance most frequently associated with violent crime; in the case of crimes against property, illegal drugs predominate. Cannabis ranked third (3% to 6% according to the study), far behind alcohol (24%) and cocaine (8% to 11%).

  17. Neutral Dominican
    January 11, 2011

    Is he serious. This is totally irresponsible for him to promote the use of alcohol over that of marijuana at a psychiatric unit. Does henot know about alcoholism and the impact it has on human health. Doesnt he know of the violence alcohol has caused and the human suffering. He can say what he wants about marijuana even if the lack of research like he admitted is dumb. So alcohol is the lesser of two evils but he’ll promote because its his drug of choice.

    21st century problems need 21st century solutions a lack of tolerance for each other today is a result of the economic and social pressures along with loss of our values as a people. We have adopted the bad ways of industrialized societies including their lack of regard for each other. I can go on & on but will stop here

  18. please
    January 11, 2011

    And please Mister Minister. Social problems are caused in part, for the biggest part, by lack of gainful employment for young people. Give them jobs, a way out of the suffering before you criticize the Herb. when you tell them say No to Drugs, you should also give them something to say Yes to. All people want is work….jobs
    How many have you created?. you have been in government for the past 15 years, on both sides of the aisle.
    Create jobs and give the youths a chance to a proper Education then you can talk. Where there is no Vision the people perish. What are the leaders doing to create jobs and educate the masses?

  19. please
    January 11, 2011

    Nonsense. Why you not saying ALCOHOL. Please, the Herb is the healing of the Nation. Look how so many states in the US now legalizing Marijuana. Please Mister Minister… Free Up the Weed. Talk about Rum…not Weed

  20. Safe-sexer
    January 11, 2011

    Job opportunities + Sporting opportunities + Education = Self development + increased tolerance = Reduced Crime

  21. simple mind
    January 11, 2011

    Timtim; you said that you saying is not backed by research ,but you still prefer 2 condem it;well then just come out straight and promote allu cokaine.

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