The act of legalising cannabis cultivation in Goa - for whatever ostensible purposes - has been shelved for the time being.
We know that cannabis was already being illegally grown in Goa, not for medicinal use. Since the same was exposed, the politicians went into hyper mode and tried to, post haste, legalise the same.
Even before the people could get an inkling of all this, the ‘file’ already existed, the Law Dept had already vetted the same. The Law Dept did not exhibit such a behaviour in the Mhadei water diversion case. That means there are big, wealthy players and the Govt is quite sympathetic to them. That they are not the ‘underworld’ dons or mafias that we normally link to the drug trade, because we all know the deadly outcome to society when drugs are available freely as in Goa. These are businessmen respected by society and not shunned by our politicians.
And how our politicians, ruling, mildly opposing and the newbies are exhibiting themselves to be shining Statesmen.
Goa has a bright future for them. They will survive because they are united.
R FERNANDES, Margao
