Drugs in the City

This photograph was taken around 11pm on a Tuesday night in St. James.  It depicts men partaking in an illegal activity of smoking cannabis also known as marijuana. From the photograph, it is difficult to determine that they are actually indulging in such activity however; the area is eminent for this. According to (Newport Academy 2016), ‘marijuana has a sticky, sweet smell that is unlike anything else,’ and this is exactly how the area smelt as we drove passed them. While driving along this area to specifically capture the moment, I felt a sense of anxiety, knowing that we could have been caught taking random pictures while they were conducting their ritualistic meeting over some cannabis.

Usually in Trinidad, marijuana is sole by the ‘house on the block’ and smoking a ‘joint’ is not really

 reprimanded as it ought to be by the law of the land since it is not a very large quantity.  From the photograph we can see that public space is being utilized to conduct an illegal activity, therefore it may be proof that the law enforcement body does not view smoking a ‘joint’ as a serious crime and most times it is overlooked.

What Exactly Is A Drug?

(State library 2015) states that a drug is ‘any chemical that changes a person’s physical or mental state when it is swallowed, breathed in, or consumed in another way.’ Illegal drugs are drugs whose use and possession are controlled by a government, and the possession of the drug is criminalized.Moreover, the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) had conducted a study in the Unites States of America, which compared marijuana use in urban areas, less urbanized areas and completely rural areas. The study found that, “urban areas had the greatest marijuana use with approximately 40.9% of the population using marijuana in their lifetime. Marijuana use among individuals in completely rural areas were estimated to be 35.9% and for less urbanised areas, 35.1% during their lifetime.” (Marijuana Treatment Help 2016)

Why do people use Marijuana?

Marijuana can be used for its medicinal purposes. People also use it for the ‘high feeling’ from the effect of THC (delta 9- tetrahydrocannabinol) and to combat the stresses of life including emotional, psychological or family issues. It may also be used since it can be easily sourced and harmful effects are not widely publicized. Marijuana use can be influenced by peer pressure to ‘try it’ and most use it for relaxation purposes.

References
Marijuana Treatment Help. 2016. Inner City Marijuana Use. Accessed April 7, 2016.http://marijuanadrugtreatment.com/inner-city-marijuana-use/

State library. 2015. What is a drug? Accessed April 7, 2016.http://www.druginfo.sl.nsw.gov.au/drugs/aboutdrugs.html