It is worrying that drug lords in Kadavu are recruiting school leavers to farm and produce marijuana. Assistant Roko Tui Kadavu Alipate Nakasava revealed a worrying trend emerging in Kadavu.
As we learn in our lead story on the front page, the social ramifications of this new challenge in the war against drugs has led to elders looking to the education system to protect this susceptible group.
Mr Nakasava told the Higher Education Commission Fiji that the Kadavu Provincial Council was requesting the urgent introduction of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in secondary schools around Fiji, and the reestablishment of the vocational school in Yavitu.
Educating youths and keeping them occupied, he said, would deter recruitment and reduce youth vulnerabilities. Now up North, we learn that more farmers there are planting marijuana than dalo and cassava.
That’s according to Fiji Agromarketing North manager Ratu Nemia Leve. He told the medicinal cannabis consultations in Savusavu, the farmers had turned to planting cannabis because it was seen as easy money. Cannabis, he said, matured in three months.
The sale of marijuana, he said, was also more lucrative when compared with crops such as cassava. Now marijuana was found in new places. Ratu Nemia said it was important for the medicinal cannabis consultation team to visit villages and raise awareness.
He said there was a lot of misinformation about the legalisation of cannabis in villages. Ministry of Trade chief business advisor Ateca Rounds said representatives from the iTaukei Affairs Ministry would visit villages to raise awareness.
She said this would also put a stop to the misinformation being spread in communities. It is serious business when drug lords are moving to recruit youngsters. It is also serious business when farmers are focusing their attention on farming marijuana because of information they are getting up North.
The illicit drug trade is lucrative. It has clothed and feeds families. People have made money off it, and many continue to do so. There is definitely a trade. When there is a demand, attention will naturally be on supplying that demand.
This is where attention will need to also focus on getting to the end factor, the user. They help keep the industry alive. We talk a lot about the drug trade. We discuss factors we feel are important for people to know and appreciate.
Every year we read about people arrested for farming marijuana and pushing it. A lot of effort goes into fighting the drug war. Yet every year farming continues, and it is sold around the country.
We will continue to push the need for us to support the police.
This time we add that it is important that the consultation team listens to people’s views and tell them the reality about the proposal to farm medicinal cannabis.
The last thing anyone wants is a drop in production of root crops and vegetables, and a rise in prices in the markets because of this. There has to be a balance somewhere.
