The worshippers of Mammon in unison croak discordantly that the vagaries of the weather have nothing to do with global warming and climate change, a leftish invention to destabilize the world and cultivate anarchy. They want us to ignore the findings of science. They are organized in very powerful, moneyed lobbies to check, undermine and des- troy any attempt for change which will jeopardise their personal interests.

The burning of fossil fuels is responsible for the destruction of the planet and motorcars are closely linked to this calamitous situation. The worshippers of Mammon have made and placed their fortunes in both industries and will protect their wealth even if it is to the detriment of the general weal. Consequently, their agents, stooges and cronies in all spheres – be they private or public – will vehemently support their idiotic obsession in return for favours of all sorts.

There is a belief that it is possible to move away from fossil fuels and reduce dramatically the use of the private-personal motorcar by using high-fibre cane and hemp to produce electricity and redesigning our local administration to ensure safety for pedestrians and cyclists. This will not only reduce CO2 emissions but also lead us to healthier living. Yet there are powerful lobbies and their political allies who will not only stand against change but will embark on campaigns of calumny, fake news and character assassination to kill rational debate. Their interests are linked to the activities of giant international corporations and their local representatives and businesses from importers to distributors.

A whole chain of vested interests of different types will try to kill change so indispensable to the survival of mankind. It is now widely accepted that cannabis oil (CBD oil) has certain therapeutic virtues. It can help people face atrocious pains but a change in the law and in attitudes will take time because we are blinded by prejudices and ignorance on the one hand and will be swept off our feet by anti-CBD malicious propaganda financed by giant pharmaceutical industries.

On a personal note, at the age of 77, I am now suffering from 3 sets of problems: ‘wear and tear’ caused by age; Post-Polio Syndrome; acute pain in my right hand wrist (as my left arm is completely atrophied, I have to manage with one hand and this is becoming more and more painful and difficult and at times agonising). I have been told that CBD oil could not only help me by alleviating pains on the one hand but also on the other hand, protect my liver and kidney which anti-inflammatory drugs and pain-killers are damaging. My only hope, before it is too late, is that the law is amended.

I would like to end this opinion piece with an extract from an article by Mike Power which appeared in The Guardian of 1 July 2019.

“What is clear is that legal reform on cannabis, while welcome, is not moving anywhere near quickly enough to benefit millions of patients. Scientists and politicians are, thankfully, catching up with hundreds of years of folk wisdom: it’s not news to anyone who regularly smokes a spliff that cannabis is relaxing, or that it can help you sleep far more soundly than a glass of red wine, or improve your mood. The interplay between THC, CBD, and the hundreds of other active compounds in the cannabis plant could one day be isolated, identified, tested and proven to offer symptomatic help or even a cure for dozens of lifethreatening conditions. But decades of pointless prohibition based on specious moral arguments have prevented proper medical research that could have benefited millions.

The CBD market urgently needs proper regulation and more broadly, both the THC and CBD sectors demand the creation of a new medical model that accommodates the complexity of a plant that has been used as a medicine by humans for thousands of years.”

Will narrow-minded Mauritius be prepared to move forward? Alcohol and tobacco are highly dangerous drugs and yet they are legal. CBD oil can help us to enjoy a better and healthy life and it is illegal. Should we not just laugh in order not to cry?