Freaktan
New Member
Indigenous Fijians are the top producers and users of marijuana. This has been determined by the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Illicit Drugs after it visited 12 provinces since March this year. Committee chairman Viliame Navoka yesterday said of the 12 provinces visited, the problem of marijuana cultivation was mostly prevalent in the Navosa and Ra provinces.
"We visited almost all the villages in the 12 provinces and saw that these two provinces had the worst situation," Mr Navoka said. "The cultivation of marijuana and the use of it in these two provinces is quite high." To combat the problem, the committee suggested to the villages to set up village committees to deal with the problem. "The committee will be made up of chiefs, school teachers, church reps, elders and the police," he said. "Their role really is to inspect the village boundaries that may have drug farms in it."
Mr Navoka said it was obvious the growing of marijuana had spread to villages that previously knew nothing about cultivating the banned crop.
"Most of these Fijian villages, in the past were all living on agricultural crops," he said.
"Until the news of the cultivation of marijuana spread, that these other villages began to switch to this drugs.
"Why? It is simply because the market is readily available."
He said the fact the crop yielded a higher financial return compared to root crops was largely the reason farmers had turned to marijuana farms.
"I must admit one of the issues raised by the villagers was that marijuana only took three months to mature and once harvested, the market was always available," he said. "They didn't need to go out and look for the buyers.
"The buyers, who come from all around the country and overseas are always around."
Mr Navoka said the committee was concerned about the high rate of usage of the illicit drug.
"During our visit, we spoke to the chiefs of the villages and they raised their concern."
The committee is yet to visit the Lau and Lomaiviti provinces.
The Senate Committee is working with the Great Council of Chiefs on the issue.
Newshawk: Freaktan - 420Times.com
Source: Fijitimes.com
Copyright: 2005 Fiji Times, Ltd.
Contact: webstaff@fijitimes.com.fj
Website: https://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=28920
Author: Staff - Fijitimes.com
"We visited almost all the villages in the 12 provinces and saw that these two provinces had the worst situation," Mr Navoka said. "The cultivation of marijuana and the use of it in these two provinces is quite high." To combat the problem, the committee suggested to the villages to set up village committees to deal with the problem. "The committee will be made up of chiefs, school teachers, church reps, elders and the police," he said. "Their role really is to inspect the village boundaries that may have drug farms in it."
Mr Navoka said it was obvious the growing of marijuana had spread to villages that previously knew nothing about cultivating the banned crop.
"Most of these Fijian villages, in the past were all living on agricultural crops," he said.
"Until the news of the cultivation of marijuana spread, that these other villages began to switch to this drugs.
"Why? It is simply because the market is readily available."
He said the fact the crop yielded a higher financial return compared to root crops was largely the reason farmers had turned to marijuana farms.
"I must admit one of the issues raised by the villagers was that marijuana only took three months to mature and once harvested, the market was always available," he said. "They didn't need to go out and look for the buyers.
"The buyers, who come from all around the country and overseas are always around."
Mr Navoka said the committee was concerned about the high rate of usage of the illicit drug.
"During our visit, we spoke to the chiefs of the villages and they raised their concern."
The committee is yet to visit the Lau and Lomaiviti provinces.
The Senate Committee is working with the Great Council of Chiefs on the issue.
Newshawk: Freaktan - 420Times.com
Source: Fijitimes.com
Copyright: 2005 Fiji Times, Ltd.
Contact: webstaff@fijitimes.com.fj
Website: https://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=28920
Author: Staff - Fijitimes.com
