The need for a properly-structured Value-Added Tax (VAT) education programme in The Bahamas

'Confusion' Between Vat Law, Guidance Must Be Eliminated

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Nassau, The Bahamas


A Tax Coalition co-chair has called for apparent differences between the Value-Added Tax (VAT) legislation and ‘guidance notes’ to be “resolved”, agreeing that there was “confusion between the two”.

Robert Myers told Tribune Business there were numerous “loose ends” remaining in relation to VAT, and that he had called for another meeting of the joint government-private sector advisory committee to tackle concerns that had been “batted back and forth”.

Agreeing that implementation was unlikely to be seamless because the Government was trying to “fast track” the process, Mr Myers said his call for the Christie administration to stop throwing VAT “information hand grenades” had been validated by last week’s events.

John Rolle, the Ministry of Finance’s financial secretary, caused temporary turmoil in Freeport’s business community when he inadvertently suggested 7.5 per cent VAT would be levied on the city’s ‘bonded goods’ regime - a mistake later retracted and corrected.

Mr Myers, though, said this proved the need for a properly-structured VAT education programme, otherwise the risk remained that mistakes and misunderstandings might cause “widespread panic”.

One area that needs to be tightened is ensuring the Ministry of Finance’s VAT ‘guidance notes’ conform with what is in the legislation and regulations.

The Government has already had to issue one clarification here in relation to pre-existing contracts, confirming that the VAT Act requires that the service/goods recipient at all times will pay the tax - not the provider/vendor.

Yet the VAT ‘guidance notes’ appeared to take the opposite position on pre-existing business and commercial rental contracts, stating that if no agreement could be reached with the recipient/tenant to pay the tax post-January 1, the vendor/landlord would have to ‘eat’ it as the Government would assume the tax is contained in the contract sum.

“That’s an area we’re going to have to go through,” Mr Myers told Tribune Business of potential discrepancies between the VAT legislation/regulations and ‘guidance notes’.

“There clearly is a gap. There clearly is some confusion between the two. We need to get that resolved. There’s a lot of loose ends.”

The Coalition for Responsible Taxation co-chairman, meanwhile, said last week’s mistakes in Freeport had “validated” his call for a structured VAT education process.

“It only strengthens what I said, which is that we’ve got to get a process for doing this, and get these training modules out so people are clear,” he told Tribune Business.

“You can see there’s a definite need to calm the process when high ranking officials don’t get it right, and get something that’s digestible for the public and private sector. We don’t want to create widespread panic. It’s got to be a calm process.

“If that means slowing it down to get it right, let’s do so. Let’s make sure what we do is done in a calm, responsible and deliberate way. We need to do it in a responsible, deliberate and calm fashion. It’s important that everyone understands, is comfortable and no one is panicked.”

Mr Myers said he was now pushing the Government to hold a second meeting of the joint private-public sector VAT advisory committee, adding: “I’m hoping to pull that off, because we need to hit them [the Government] with a list and get some answers on stuff that’s kind of been batted back and forth.”

He conceded, though, that VAT implementation on January 1 was likely to be far from smooth given the haste with which the Government was seeking to move on tax reform.

Mr Myers said New Zealand, whose experience the Bahamas’ has drawn on a great deal, used a 14-18 month gap between their VAT legislation’s public release and implementation to iron out any problems.

The Bahamas, by contrast, was attempting to do the same in less than six months, though the Government would argue that the initial draft’s November 2013 release has given everyone 13-14 months to prepare.

“It’s going to be a bit of a mess because we’re trying to fast track the process,” Mr Myers told Tribune Business. “We’re trying to do it in how many months? You can’t expect to have a seamless process when you’re trying to fast track something like this.

“There’s going to be issues. The more we can get ahead of it and cut off confusion by vetting documents, and only then get them out to the private sector, you will have a lot less noise.”

He added: “Clearly there’s a lot of confusion at this point, and it’s not going to stop as long as we don’t follow the process. We’ve got to be responsible in the way we do that.

“First vet the legislation, regulations and guidance notes, clear as much of the confusion up as possible, then get thye education platform launched and get support teams out there, hitting each of the sectors.

Mr Myers suggested that the education process start with the Bahamas’ largest businesses, who were expected to be the biggest VAT collectors, “and then work down from there”.

He conceded that the VAT education process was “still very erratic” and “a bit disjointed in my humble opinion. I expect that to clear up; I hope it clears up significantly over the next couple of weeks or months”.

He warned that the Bahamas, both the Government and private sector, “can’t afford” for VAT education to fail because it would automatically mean reduced compliance. And less compliance will result in an increased VAT rate, and new and increased taxes elsewhere.

September 15, 2014

Tribune242

Yuan Guisen, Chinese Ambassador to The Bahamas on China-Bahamas relations

Onward together to a better future for China-Bahamas relations

By YUAN GUISEN

“Bosom friends make distance disappear,” said Chinese President Xi Jinping to the president of Trinidad and Tobago during his visit to Latin America and the Caribbean last year. In July, President Xi concluded a successful visit to Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and Cuba with fruitful results for further ties, a gesture of China’s sincerity and the high value China places on its relations with Latin America and the Caribbean.

During his visit, President Xi attended a China-Latin America and the Caribbean Summit and delivered a keynote speech titled Striving to build a hand-in-hand community of common destiny. His address announced China's proposals and measures for promoting China-Latin America cooperation. It proposed to build a Five-in-One new pattern of China-Latin America and the Caribbean relations: sincerely trust each other in politics; cooperate with each other for a win-win outcome in terms of economy and trade; learn from each other in people-to-people and cultural exchanges; closely cooperate with each other in international affairs; and promote each other in overall cooperation and bilateral relations, so as to forge a hand-in-hand community of common destiny.

China firmly believes that the world tide flows in its mighty power. The cooperation between China and Latin American countries and the Caribbean states serves the practical and long-term interests of both sides. China proposes to jointly build a new "1 + 3 + 6" cooperation framework:

• "1" means "one plan", referring to the establishment of the China-Latin American Countries and Caribbean States Cooperation Plan (2015-2019) with the aim of achieving inclusive growth and sustainable development.

• "3" means "three engines", referring to promoting the comprehensive development of China-Latin America practical cooperation with trade, investment and financial cooperation as the impetus, striving to promote China-Latin America trade to scale up to US$500 billion and the investment stock in Latin America up to $250 billion within 10 years and promote the expansion of local currency settlement and currency swap in bilateral trade.

• "6" means "six fields", referring to boosting China-Latin America industry connections with energy and resources, infrastructure construction, agriculture, manufacturing, scientific and technological innovation, and information technologies as cooperation priorities.

State-to-state relations thrive when there is friendship between the peoples. And such friendship grows out of close interactions between the peoples.

Over the next five years, China will provide Latin American and Caribbean countries with 6,000 government scholarships, 6,000 training opportunities in China and 400 positions of in-house studying for master’s degrees.

China will also invite 1,000 political party leaders from Latin American and Caribbean countries to visit China and launch the Future Bridge training program for 1,000 Chinese and Latin American youth leaders in 2015. China proposes to set the year 2016 as China-Latin America Cultural Exchange Year.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1997,

China-Bahamas bilateral relations have remained on a track of steady development, with deepening cooperation in all fields. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Perry Christie reached an important consensus on furthering our ties during the meeting in Trinidad and Tobago last year. A mutual visa exemption agreement in effect since this February has vastly facilitated exchange between our two peoples. In early May, a Chinese medical team visited The Bahamas and performed free cataract surgeries on 101 Bahamian patients, whose sight was improved or recovered.

This year, three-dozen Bahamian officials have been invited to China for short-term training programs sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. Nine excellent Bahamian students were granted Chinese government scholarships to study in China in the coming years.

There is an old saying in China, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. What our bilateral relations have achieved up to today is the sum of numerous single steps made by our two governments and peoples.

Through the new measures and initiatives for developing relations between China and Latin America and the Caribbean proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, our bilateral relations will be injected with new momentum that will usher in a new era.

Six decades ago, leaders of China, India and Myanmar initiated the Five Principles, including mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.

Sixty years on, China firmly observed and will observe the five principles of peaceful coexistence. China will firmly pursue peaceful development and a win-win strategy of opening-up, which will create new opportunities and space for the development around the world.

In spite of the differences in geographical location, territorial area, per capital GDP and culture between our two nations, we have enormous potential for cooperation. The Bahamas has become an important partner of China in Caribbean region.

Since my assumption of office over a half year ago, I have experienced the friendship between our two peoples and the enthusiasm of Bahamians to develop relations with China.

The Chinese government would like to make every effort to enhance our ties in various spheres based on the Five Principles. We will seek to expand our common interests and ensure our two peoples benefit from the strengthening of our bilateral relations. We firmly believe that it’s a good time now for us to work together onward to a better future of our relations.

• Yuan Guisen, Chinese Ambassador to The Bahamas

September 13, 2014

thenassauguardian

Call for the enactment of Campaign Finance Legislation in The Bahamas

Governments for Sale? (Campaign Finance Reform)

Last week the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) and scores of other citizens and residents of this country watched with dismay, as the government pressed forward with its plans to legitimize the long illegal web shop industry in the Bahamas. This action comes following the resounding public no vote in the January 2013 “referendum” and further upholds years of gaming discrimination against Bahamians. In addition to inviting the potential for new levels of government corruption, the recently tabled gaming legislation seems to be an effort by this Christie led administration to reward web shop bosses who have for years operated in contravention of the law; giving the owners of these illegal establishments what equates to a mere slap on the wrist for years of illegal operation with only minimal fines, fees and penalties imposed.

Clearly, the government’s gaming legislation was designed, not with the interests of the wider Bahamian population in mind, but was instead formulated to meet the needs and desires of web shop owners. The question though, is why? Why would a government which claims to be acting in the best interest of ALL BAHAMIANS table legislation which clearly caters to the whims of a select group? Could it perhaps be payback for the millions of dollars reportedly pumped into the Progressive Liberal Party’s (PLP) 2012 election campaign?

The tabling of the new gaming legislation once again thrusts the important issue of Campaign Finance Reform back into the spotlight. The DNA Calls on the government to implement clear guidelines which will govern future election campaign donations. Such guidelines should require ALL POLITICAL ORGNAIZATIONS to make full disclosure of its financial statements. Under the new regulations, all political parties would be bound by law to publicly disclose the amounts of all campaign finance donations and make known how those funds were raised. In addition, campaign finance reform would also place limits on how much one individual or organization is allowed to donate to a political party.

Doing so will limit the potential influence of special interest groups on government policy and create governments which will execute the will of the people with improved levels of transparency and accountability.

No one individual, group of individuals or organization should be able to – in essence – buy a government; the level of influence which has been exerted on this government by special interests groups during this term in office is a clear indication that our system of governance has been compromised.

The influence of money on our past elections has made and will continue to make the causes which are most crucial for our people and the development of our nation, second, to the will of special interest groups. Since taking office, this administration has paid only lip service to the idea of increased transparency in governance while failing at every turn to enact legislation which would eliminate the opacity which currently exists.

The DNA calls for the enactment of Campaign Finance Legislation but true to form, this PLP government will not introduce such legislation because they are guilty of what the legislation will stand for. This legislation will only be introduced under a DNA government.

Branville McCartney
DNA Leader

Should homosexuals influence Caribbean society on the right to sex more than the Caribbean church Part-1

Should homosexuals influence Caribbean society more than the church community? Part 1

By Dr Lazarus Castang:


Some commentaries on Caribbean News Now have consistently engaged in a common logical leap from universal human rights to men having sex with men. Homosex is often more implicitly than explicitly subsumed under the canopy of universal human rights. The need for sex or sexual satisfaction is universal, human, and a natural right. So, if this is the case, then no government, society, religion, culture, law, or morality should stigmatise or discriminate against adult males having private, consensual sex if it does not harm anyone. So the argument goes, but is the case really as simple and straightforward as this?

Caribbean society includes the homosexual community as well as the church community. From an objective, noncommittal perspective, for homosexuals to influence Caribbean society on the right to sex more than the Caribbean church or vice-versa constitutes an obvious bias in either direction. To try to divide and conquer by insisting that the church have sex however they want, and homosexuals have sex however they please, solves the problem on the individual level, but not on the collective/societal level.

Some active homosexuals want to be welcomed and affirmed in and by the church, and be celebrated when they come out in society. Some want to be married and hold position in church. Furthermore, they oppose any moral or legal discrimination against their homosexual behaviour by society or the church. In some countries they have or seek laws that criminalise public and Christian moral opposition to homosex, while they decriminalise homosex. They want homosexual behaviour to be upheld in school curriculum as a normal variant of human sexuality and insist on legislation to protect their right to homosex that is assumed to be universal and right.

Homosexuals have private homosex, but seek public recognition and acceptance of their relationships through several avenues like public parades and protests. Privacy is not what they seek, since they have it already. Publicity of their “privacy” that can psychosocially normalize homosex and break down public resistance is the goal. Homosexuals are trying to influence societal norms just like the church. So, to talk of the church as a homophobic or bigoted obstacle to sexual freedom is to try to exclude and mute the influence of the church as an important public moral voice in Caribbean society.

Furthermore, the concept of universal human rights, as some have related it to homosex, does not address how to resolve public conflict of rights in society and in what way homosex is universal and right. In any public conflict of rights, say right to conscience versus sexual orientation right, one right will be made fundamental and the other less than fundamental. Merely using accusatory terms like “disadvantaged groups,” “abuse of minority,” “exclusionary approach” and “tyranny” in context of homosexual cause and the Caribbean church and society only fly on broken wings of emotionalism and appeals to sympathy without good reason.

In certain parts of the US and Canada, opponents of homosex have been fined or imprisoned for publicly opposing homosex, but homosexuals are not fined or imprisoned for publicly berating the church. They call the church bigoted for disapproving and not accommodating homosex, while they reverse bigotry by disapproving and not accommodating opposition to homosex.

In the Caribbean, homosexuals have been physically threatened, or attacked, or killed because of their orientation and behavioural expression or public display or promotion of it. The church community, however, disapproves of both homosex and violence against homosexuals. But it is argued by some gay rights activists that opposition to homosex is a source of social homophobia. The case for such argument has not been made and even if it were true, then, attackers can also use any other reason to attack homosexuals, such as the way they walk, talk, dress, the places they go, or the company they keep, or coming out. With such questionable or farfetched reasoning not only opposition to homosex needs changing. The way some homosexuals walk, talk, dress, the places they go, or the company they keep, or coming out, all these would be sources of homophobia to be changed.

So, should homosexuals influence Caribbean society on the right to sex more than the Caribbean church? After all, homosexuals’ bodies, butts, behaviours, brains, buggery, and bugs are theirs, not the church’s, even though some of them may belong to a church. The church should not talk for or over homosexuals, and homosexuals cannot control the church. Therefore, should homosexuals influence Caribbean society on the right to sex more than the Caribbean church?

If homosex is exclusively a private matter, should it be publicly promoted in any form or fashion, or legally protected, or religiously accepted? Does the church have a right to tell homosexuals not to have homosex? Are laws or sermons against homosex codes for or reinforcements of violent attacks against homosexuals in the Caribbean? As analogies, do laws against incest, pedophilia, bestiality, polygamy, and drug trafficking mean attack the violators?

There is no link between believing homosex is wrong and acting to wrong homosexuals physically. Physical attackers of homosexuals can use any reason in an effort to justify their nefarious acts, while accusers of the church bypass them to wrongly assign blame to the church. There are unbalanced and uncompassionate people in the church community as well as the homosexual community. So, should homosexuals influence Caribbean society on the right to sex, if there is a right to sex, more than the Caribbean church?

If there is a right to sexual satisfaction, how far do we extend this right to sex and on what basis? A non-discriminatory claim for the recognition of a variety of sexual orientations would have to include orientations toward multiple sex partners (polysexuality), children (pedophilia), blood relatives (incest), animals (bestiality), sadomasochism, voyeurism, necrophilia and so on. Sexual libertinism would be the order of the day in the name of freedom, social inclusion, tolerance, equality and acceptance.

The separation of church and state does not eliminate the influence of the church on the society or the society on the church. The Caribbean church exists under the jurisdiction of the Caribbean state and in society. Religious and secular people, gay or straight, influence state decisions as members of political parties, government agencies, business enterprises and media corporations and as individual citizens. Efforts to remove church or homosexual influence from the Caribbean state/society are virtually impractical at the corporate level and the individual level. Therefore, one cannot legitimately talk of freedom and at the same time seek to totally erode dialogue, rivalry of influence, and jostling for legal advantage between the church and the homosexual community on the question of the right to sexual satisfaction in the Caribbean.

In a society with a multiplicity of sexual orientations, sexual laws cannot forbid any behavioural expression of sexual orientation and be non-discriminatory at the same time. However, Caribbean diverse society must draw the line somewhere, even when the line may only be drawn in the sand of social shifts and turns. Again, should homosexuals influence Caribbean society on the right to sex more than the Caribbean church?

September 09, 2014

Caribbeannewsnow

- Should homosexuals influence Caribbean society on the right to sex more than the Caribbean church Part-2 
 

Geothermal energy in the Caribbean: Energy security or political play?

By Rebecca Theodore:


At a time when the world is experiencing an energy crisis, the process of rising heat from the earth as a stimulant to economic growth becomes very beneficial to many Caribbean nations. However, while many contemplate that geothermal energy is an ambitious opportunity to utilize wealth and recognition among member states and international markets, the financial challenges associated with it are many and varied, and now beckons the need for international ‘tenders’ to promote the sound development of the project.

Whereas detractors continue to charge that the harnessing of geothermal energy in the Caribbean could have a negative impact on the carbon footprint through deforestation, the release of hydrogen sulfide and the disposal of toxic geothermal fluids into the atmosphere; evidence also point to the fact that geothermal is the best type of renewable energy in terms of cost, efficiency, and safety.

Scientific evidence further illustrate that geothermal energy is a major factor in combating the adverse effects of climate change in the Caribbean. Geothermal energy doesn’t produce any type of greenhouse effect, and does not consume any energy since it’s renewable energy and there is no consumption of any type of fossil fuels.

In all truism, geothermal energy in the Caribbean have the prospective to address economic development, climate change mitigation, and stipulation of affordable energy and should be listed on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) as an alternative to poverty reduction and to energy security.

Yet, unethical clouds smudge the dust for action and solutions.

So what if anything should Caribbean government’s make of the financial challenges facing geothermal energy? For one, Caribbean islands are now locked in long term contracts that have no incentive for power producers to develop more economic methods in order to maximize benefits.

Market research reports that “electrical supply across much of the Caribbean is generated by expensive and polluting oil- or diesel-fired generators and millions of dollars are spent on fossil fuel imports.”

Economic analysts further state that “it is the high cost of energy that presently paints the un-competitive business portrait for the Caribbean on the international market. Dependency on imports of foreign fossil fuel affect the balance of payment and contribute toward micro and macroeconomic challenges, such as inflation, increased cost (and loss of competitiveness) of local industry, depreciation pressures, and further external indebtedness.”

In essence, “the future of geothermal energy in the Caribbean “is very bright,” but Caribbean governments cannot undertake the project solely admits Sturla Birkisson, senior vice president at Iceland Drilling Company. In this light, government money and international funds are needed to mitigate the financial risk and cover the initial costs in the form of soft loans in case exploratory projects prove unsuccessful.”

Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) of the World Bank published report further states that “the main challenges associated with the development of geothermal energy generation in the Caribbean includes the financial resources needed to confirm the resource potential of specific sites, financing of exploration, production and injection wells, and power plant development. The legal and regulatory framework, the lack of a comprehensive inventory of geothermal resources with high quality data, environmental and social impacts, and power sector planning are also other adversary factors.”

As a result, if financial measures are to be met in the cultivation of geothermal energy, then Caribbean governments will “need to develop resources themselves, or negotiate a fair price with a responsible developer that puts some value to the community and supports the growth of it and stimulates its development.”

Given these circumstances, the most dramatic illustration of the financial challenges of geothermal energy now shines light on the Caribbean island of Dominica. With the highest percentage of renewable energy in its energy mix among Caribbean nations, it would take an exceptional scale of energy tone deafness not to mention the Skerrit administration energy policies.

Even for a government that now boast that it has spent more than $US12 million in developing the geothermal industry on the island, and has sought the advice of the Clinton Climate Initiative, and presented the project as one of its theme at the sixty-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly; it still fails to show the political will and leadership to enlarge and diversify the ‘portfolio of options’ that geothermal energy entails.

Subsequently, the project lies crippled in cronyism and unprofessional conduct.

Perhaps proponents may want to evidence leaked diplomatic cable released by Wikileaks that allege the United States embassy in Barbados is unfavorable to the government of Dominica’s plan on moving forward in developing the island’s geothermal potential, but if as the Dominica prime minister asserts that “one of the weaknesses of Renewable Energy (RE) initiatives and Efficient Energy initiatives (EE) in the Caribbean is the lack of projects to demonstrate the benefits,” then, the harnessing of geothermal energy cannot continue to be cloaked in secrecy and locked in a partisan political play.

In order to maximize the benefits of geothermal energy in the Caribbean, it is clear, that bi-partisan efforts and inputs from environmentalists and consultants are needed to help government negotiate a fair price with international developers.

Progressively, the long-term needs of energy security in the region is now of high importance and at this point, Caribbean governments should seek to develop an “integrated project management solution” and a systematic review and re-examination of geothermal resources for energy production. It would not only help in meeting the ongoing energy crisis in the world at large and boost the national security of many Caribbean nations, but it will also become a valuable alternative energy source for future generations.

Thus, it is now evident that the answer to wealth and recognition for many Caribbean nations lie beneath.

September 04, 2014

Caribbean News Now 

Wetlands cover nine percent of Cuba

By Granma Internacional:

Wetlands in Cuba cover an area of approximately 10,410 square kilometers, equal to 9.3% of the islands total surface and include swampy areas along the coastline and in the interior. 

These ecosystems are known for their fragility and vulnerability, although they provide ecological and economic benefits, among them habitat protection and the reduction of costal erosion.

They also play a vital part in the capture of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, purification of effluents, limiting the impact of extreme weather on infrastructure and supplying water for consumption and economic activities.

Furthermore, they contribute to replenishing subterranean water supplies and collecting rain in urban and rural zones; in addition to controlling floods and stabilizing the coastline; as well as forming barriers between land and sea phenomenon.

Ciénaga de Zapata is home to crocodiles and numerous species of Cuban flora and fauna.

According to information from the Environment Agency on the entity’s website, Cuban wetlands are an inseparable part of the country’s biological wealth and diversity, adding that they include vast landscapes featuring estuaries, open coasts, marshes, floodplains, scrublands and forests, lakes, canals and rivers.

Artificially created wetlands can function in either a positive or negative way, in accordance with the nature of the biological assets affected. 

Among the most prominent in Cuba are the Ciénaga de Zapata, Birama (including the River Cauto delta), Lanier, Cunagua, Pinar del Río’s southeastern lakeside system and the Colorados islets; Sabana Camagüey; Jardines de la Reina; and the Canarreos.

The wetlands of Ciénaga de Zapata, in Matanzas, are the largest and most exceptional in Cuba and the Caribbean, meriting their inclusion in the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially noted on the Waterfowl Habitat List.

Ramsar is the name of the city in Iran where this Convention was signed on February 2, 1971. Provisions went into effect December 21, 1975. (AIN)

September 01, 2014

Granma.cu 

What we don't know about marijuana

By DR BASIL SIMMS

SINCE Jamaica became an independent nation and a signatory of the International Convention of the United Nations (UN) against the planting, possession and illicit use of marijuana, Jamaica has saved over a trillion dollars in health care, especially in the maintenance of the sanity of its citizens, by continuing with the criminalisation of the planting, possession and illicit use of marijuana as a narcotic substance.

The marijuana plant is of Asian origin. It was first observed to be grown on the banks of the River Ganges in India. This is how the name 'ganja' originated, but the plant is officially named in India as the 'Indian Hemp'.

The plant has distinct male and female species, whereby the male plant does not flower and therefore does not bear seeds and is not referred to as marijuana, as the leaves are not as potent with the concentrated chemical substances as the leaves of the female plant.

The female plant, with the intoxicating psychoactive properties of high euphoric effect, flowers and bears seeds, and its leaves, flowers and seeds are what really caused the plant to be referred to as the marijuana plant. Therefore, the female plant with the psychoactive properties is scientifically referred to as a Pistil-ate plant with Cannabis Sativa.

Pistil is the female reproductive organ of a flower and cannabis is the dried flowering spikes and/or fruit-in-tops of the female plant.

In India, apart from the complex chemical composition and psychoactive properties of the leaves, fruit-in-top and/or flower of high euphoric effect of the female plant -- that is dangerous and/or poisonous to the human brain and entire nervous system of the body -- the plant, both male and female, is generally noted for the tough fibre of its bark and with the required licence, it is used for the production of canvas and rope (the hemp rope) etc.

The psychoactive property with the high euphoric effect of the female plant is above the control of the metabolism of the immune system of the human body and causes the imagination of the person that drinks and/or smokes it to rise above the height of elucidation, which makes it damaging to the brain and the entire nervous system of the body.

This high euphoric effect of the psychoactive property of the leaves and flowers of the female plant is what is commonly misinterpreted and is misleading of the plant as a medicinal herb that is suitable for the human body.

Such high euphoric effect is by far higher and lasting than the euphoric effect of the psychoactive properties of the female plant and is synonymous to the pharmacodynamics of an aphrodisiac that is injected into a stallion to intensify its sex drive. It is therefore above the control of the immune system of the human body.

Based on its chemical composition, the female plant typifies the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The male plant, carries not flower or fruit-in-tops, hence, the leaves, flower and/or fruit-in-tops of the female plant are dangerous and especially of those grown in Jamaica, which appear to be more potent that those grown in other countries.

When toxicologically observed in research in the biochemical laboratory, the chemical composition of the marijuana plant is a most complex one of many different chemical compounds. These chemical compounds are subdivided into three classes, according to the chemical scale of Acid (Ph 1-6), Neutral (Ph 7) and Alkaline (Ph 8-14). The active ingredient of these chemical compounds is a chemical compound known as Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is most addictive and above the standard of control of the human brain and nervous system.

Therefore, with the euphoric effect of such psychoactive property, the internal use of marijuana is dangerous to all age groups and especially to children. The continuous use (smoking and drinking) of the narcotic substance is worse psychologically, though the person, having become addicted and to some extent, may appear and believe that he or she is fine, but with distinct appearance of symptoms and especially the uncut hair and coloured eyes that are different from the normal person. Therefore, the continuous use of marijuana is destructive to the human brain, the nervous system and the entire body.

Apart from the THC, the complex chemical composition of the marijuana plant has chemical proprieties that if successfully separated and diluted, could be of benefit to the human body orally and possibly intravenously.

However, from thorough research and based on consensus of the international convention of the UN, what is dangerous about the plant is the complexity of its chemical composition. Each compound of the composition is of minute quantity and the complexity of the composition makes it impossible to chemically separate one from the other (the poisonous from the non-poisonous) without creating a chemical or nuclear change that is worse damaging to the body.

Therefore, with the THC, it is internationally observed and remained a narcotic substance; as the use of it can only be done as a whole, which is dangerous to the human body.

Without evidential proof of the formula and authenticity of the extract(s) and identity of the specific chemical compound(s) extracted from the complex chemical composition of the plant, and evidence of the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics as a medicinal product without serious harm to the human body, any signatory of the UN Convention that legalised the use of marijuana in whatever quantity is a retrograde step towards psychotic development of its citizens.

With the findings of over 70 years of established research by the UN Convention on marijuana, whosoever is proactive to the legalisation of marijuana for medicinal purposes has very little and or no knowledge and understanding of its psychoactive danger to the human brain, nervous system and entire body.

Metaphorically, such person or group of persons is intoxicated with the inordinate love for monetary gain, fame and fortune of the world, that comprised the root and or route of all evil.

It is a fact that Canosol was developed from marijuana.

I believe that if a survey is done among the ophthalmologists in Jamaica, 95 per cent of them would say that Canosol has no effect against glaucoma and 4.5 per cent would say it has very little effect.

The media are currently burdened with so many experts on marijuana who are proactive of the licensing of it, but when those who know better listen and read what they say about the plant, it is evident that they have no true knowledge of the plant and its chemical composition, except that they are under the influence of the inordinate desire for economic gain and employment, against the current global recession.

For example, President Barack Obama is able to be proactive in such retrograde step, because, apart from the fact that he is ignorant of the complex chemical composition of the plant and its danger to the human body, he is in his second and final term as President of the USA and quite likely to him, he has nothing to lose with the world in mind and no emphasis on his soul. Also, as president of the USA, he is also proactive of unisex marriage, against the will of God. What grave mistake for a young man with such great potential and who is greatly loved! Can a man opposed and remain standing in battle against God?

To gain, and for the maintenance of power, there are times when people do silly things.

In Jamaica, to boost revenue, the authorities started to license handcarts and because a trying, poor peasant could not pay the licence for operating his handcart, they took sledge hammers and smashed his handcart in one incident. Consequently, he and his children and children's mother are placed in the position to suffer from hunger. With such a draconian and kangaroo law, what great temptation it is to cause the poor man and his children to become criminals to maintain themselves? Where is the love in action? Is it not because of class prejudice in Jamaica, that is worse than apartheid, that was practised in South Africa why they smashed the trying peasant's cart?

With the appropriate licence, the bark of the marijuana plant is used by some signatories of the UN Convention in the production of canvas and rope and other products with such material, except for medicinal purposes etc, for assimilation in the human body. Therefore, in all the signatories of the UN, including Jamaica, the cultivation, possession, trading and use; including exportation of marijuana and any byproduct (hashish) thereof are illegal, in that they are narcotic substances.

Consequently, to have criminalised tobacco smoking and legalised the smoking, etc of marijuana, and irrespective of the quantum, it is likened unto the leaders of a commune who are faced with economic problems that they cannot solve and thereupon colluded and prepared a toxic treat and premeditatedly fed it to each member of the commune as the way forward; to deceptively become insane and commit mass suicides.


Dr Basil R Simms, a biochemist and business consultant, is founder and chairman of Retsam Research and Development Ltd. He may be reached at 416-5546 or basil.simms@cwjamaica.com

August 31, 2014

Jamaica Observer