ganja in Africa

As I explained before, the Rasta culture is huge in Gambia. And they don't call Gambia "the smiling coast" for nothing. Marijuana is a part of daily life in the country. It goes along with battling the elements such as digesting the food, the hot weather, mosquitoes, crowded streets and hustle of city life. Somehow the ganja blends beautifully with the life there. They have adopted Jamaica's Rasta culture in Gambia and ofcourse ganja is a big part of the Rasta way. Even strict Muslims and proffesionals engage in it's use in Gambia. People may pass by, see friends, have a seat, drink some tea, and pass around some ganja with their tea. The most popular song in my time in Gambia was a song called "Ganja Farmer". The songs lyrics go like this...

"Some ganja plant-a...
call me the ganja farmer...
it's a million ways (somethin somethin) ganja
Babylon comes to put my farm on fire....

...I'm a ganja planter....
...Call me the ganja farmer!"

I took this article about marijauna from a travel website about Gambia

http://www.accessgambia.com/information/ganja-drug.html

Ganja is the name for Marijuana (Pot), and seems to be more prevalent than liquor given the Islamic restrictions on alcohol consumption. Be aware that partaking and possessing Ganja is illegal in The Gambia. "Cannabis" is also used to describe the substance.

WARNING:
Never engage in illegal drugs. Penalties and prisons in Gambia are harsh.

Cannabis grows naturally in The Gambia and other parts of Africa and has been used as a recreational drug for centuries but its abuse is now widespread in both rural and urban populations in Africa (United Nations, 1989). The potency of cannabis varies widely geographically, with reduced levels of the major active principal, delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) found in plants grown in cold climates; cannabis in West Africa is likely, therefore, to be highly potent. In The Gambia there are three cannabis harvests per year and its low cost, and ready availability favour its widespread use. The cannabinoids are highly lipophilic and accumulate in body fat, leading to a long half-life in chronic users (Harvey, 1985).

British Journal of Psychiatry (1993) 163, 798-801