Many inner-city youths in Jamaica refer to marijuana as “the good herb” or the “healing of the nation”. The plant’s impact on so-called garrison communities in the Caribbean country is the theme for Cure My Pain, a documentary by Autarchii.
No official release date has been set for the hour-long feature which has been shown in Jamaica and Kenya. Based on response, Autarchii has strong expectations for his debut film.
“The focus of this documentary is to highlight the usage of herbs among inner-city youths and how it impacts them psychologically, socially and economically,” he said.
Autarchii, a singer known for songs like Land of The Free and Ecological Integrity, is producer and executive producer of Cure My Pain. He interviewed persons in areas like Southside, a tough neighborhood in central Kingston, Jamaica’s capital; Christian Pen in St. Catherine parish, and several ganja fields across Jamaica.
Though he has observed the community ganja trade in Jamaica for several years, Autarchii who lives in New York, discovered new things about it while filming.
“I learnt that ganja is connected to the culture of the garrison. Many youths living in poverty use it to escape their harsh reality and it eases their minds from negative thoughts in most instances, as it is a plant that feeds off your vibration,” he explained.
The small-time ganja trade has thrived for years in Jamaica’s garrisons, so-called for the gritty lifestyle of their inhabitants, and fierce loyalty to Jamaica’s major political parties.
Many residents have been arrested and jailed for selling or smoking ganja. But since late 2015, the Jamaican government has passed legislation that permits smoking of ganja and prevents prosecution of persons found with small amounts of the plant.
Born Jermaine Joseph, Autarchii has lived in the United States for nearly 10 years. He addressed the current de-criminalization process in Jamaica.
“I have followed it closely enough to know that it is a partial law which doesn’t change the perspective of the upper-class, the law enforcers nor the government towards this plant,” he said.
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