Old Herb, 'New' Purpose: A Preliminary Analysis of Marijuana as a Medicine in Barbados

Barbadians, like their Caribbean neighbours, are not newcomers to using herbs for medicinal purposes. It has been suggested that prior to the 1930s and beyond, the herb Cannabis sativa was being used for various ailments. Much of the present debate in Barbados revolves around the increasing recognition that the condemned plant seen as injurious to society, especially the youth, represents a potential treatment for several illnesses. This article specifically examines the social construction of marijuana as a drug or substance of abuse versus its use as a medicine and the impact of the present prohibitionist policy on its use especially as a medicine.