Ghana’s hiplife pioneer Reggie Rockstone wants the government to decriminalise marijuana use in Ghana and rather weigh the possibilities of generating revenue from the substance.
The godfather of hiplife said criminalising recreational use of the dried leaves and flowers of the cannabis sativa plant is not the best way to discourage the youth from smoking marijuana.
“Decriminalise [marijuana] has always been my stance,” the 58-year-old declared on The Asaase Breakfast Show yesterday.
“I say this because we all know the affluent get away with BS in [this] country. If you come from a ‘good home’ and you get busted with some ganja, you won’t do no time,” he told the host of the ABS, Kwaku Nhyira-Addo.
“But them young brothers and sisters in the ghettos and the hoods – boy, they bang them up. And when you do this, you are creating your own monsters, because these kids will come back, and when they meet you it will be on a different note,” said the writer/performer of the hit “Makaa Maka”.
“They coming back with that balaclava into your house because you done them wrong, the law done them wrong, the country done them wrong. I mean, people get banged up for years [for using marijuana]. It’s a waste of life. Besides, [with marijuana] we can really pull in some revenue now … You got medicines, all kinds …” Rockstone said.
He said marijuana is medicinal and has other related benefits.
