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The Government recently agreed to work with marijuana activist and head of the Caribbean Collective for Justice, Nazma Muller, to stage public meetings to discuss the issue of decriminalising marijuana. The T&T Guardian has been, over recent weeks, looking at the issue. Today, we continue the series with one of the real-life stories.
Seven years ago, Javed Baksh had to take as many as 26 pills a day to treat clinical depression and schizophrenia.
Today, Baksh does not have to take any pills.
Baksh attributes this remarkable turnaround to one thing - marijuana.
“I had a history of clinical depression and schizophrenia, so I was diagnosed by a psychiatrist, I was put on antidepressants.
“I was on antidepressants for just over two years, a combination of antidepressants and antipsychotics, I was taking up to 26 pills a day and it just wasn’t helping,” Baksh told the T&T Guardian.
So one day, one of Baksh’s friend’s suggested he smoke some marijuana.
But Baksh had heard all the negative things about marijuana and was sceptical.
“I was hesitant about it, but eventually I said I have been trying everything already so why not,” he recalled.
However, Baksh said he did not realise the difference until the morning after he took that first smoke.
“It was like it completely rewired my brain and because I was against it (marijuana) I never did any research personally and after that experience, when I started doing my research I realised everything I thought I knew about marijuana was just propaganda, everything that I was told, that I saw, that I read that was negative was just propaganda,” he said.
Baksh is now calling on those who may be sceptical as he was about marijuana to give it a chance.
“It is not what you think it is, plain and simple, because whatever negative thoughts that you have about it, whatever you may have heard growing up from parents from peers it is all propaganda and I can say this because I was just like that,” Baksh said.
He added, “So just give it a chance, do some research and try not to remain biased about it because it is helping a lot of people globally.”
Baksh said he is living proof of that.
“I haven’t been on a pill since then. Before, when I stopped taking pills I was left with severe anxiety and insomnia, and cannabis has been the only thing that has actually helped me to function of a normal daily life and the only thing to help me relax and fall asleep at night and stay asleep,” he said.
“It changed my way of life completely.”
Since experiencing the health benefits of marijuana first hand, Baksh has now opted to try and help others.
“It had such an impact on my life that I wanted to bring the same quality of life to others,” he told the T&T Guardian.
Baksh formed a company called GrassLab and is a part of the non-government organisation named Cannabis and You (CAY), which is advocating for the legalisation of marijuana here.
With GrassLab, Baksh imports hemp-based products that have Cannabidiol (CBD).
“Cannabis comprises of two main compounds THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD. THC is the one that gets you high, CBD is the one that doesn’t but you get all the medical benefits without the high so you don’t have the psychoactive effect,” he said.
Baksh said people suffering from a range of illnesses, including cancer, epilepsy, arthritis and Alzheimer’s, come to GrassLab, which is located in Arima, for help.
“All the people that buy the products are seeing positive results. My main focus is to push the medical side of cannabis because a lot of people are currently suffering and if we can do something to help by all means we must,” he said.
Some people even treat their pets with the products, he said.
CAY also holds awareness drives throughout the country.
The group was on hand two Fridays ago when a petition was handed to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley by Caribbean Collective for Justice, Nazma Muller calling for the legalisation of marijuana.
As the country prepares to have public consultations on the reform of marijuana laws next month, Baksh said everything must be done to ensure that cannabis is legalised.
“The fact of the matter is we are over 20 years behind (the rest of the world when it comes to the cannabis), so I don’t think we need to ever try to play catch up now. We need to hit the ground running, the world right now is progressing, everyone is seeing what is happening, everyone is benefiting with decriminalisation, more so with the countries and states with legalisation, and I don’t know what Trinidad and Tobago is waiting on,” Baksh said.
“I don’t know how much more evidence and facts they need.”
SEE PAGE A9