Zilos

GROWING marijuana in the highlands of Navosa should be excused, a senate ad-hoc committee looking into the use of illicit drugs and related crimes was told yesterday.

The six-member committee conducted a public hearing at Nawaka Village, Nadi, yesterday where they were told marijuana growing in some parts of the country was understandable.

Committee chairman Viliame Navoka said in all areas they visited concerns were raised on the effects of marijuana and its extensive use in village communities.

"For generations the villagers of Navosa have had to travel down mountainous and rugged terrains to reach a road and a few hours more before they can get to the market to sell their produce," he said.

"Some have to cross rivers with water up to tyre-level and, by the time they reach the market, there is no guarantee their produce will all be sold. They are still facing the same economic hardships their ancestors faced years ago," Mr Navoka said.

"Some of them said that is why they have no choice but to resort to marijuana growing.

"The product is lighter, it has a steady market and is economically viable," he said.

While the committee was impressed with some of the huge homes and furniture found in them in the interior of Navosa, Mr Navoka said they were deeply concerned over how the drug had taken its toll on their youth most of whom had become too lazy to farm.

At Nawaka yesterday, Mr Navoka said villagers told them it was difficult to enforce punishment for youths who smoked marijuana because of modern human rights laws.

"Nawaka Village has a policing group that monitors and tries to control drug consumption by youths in the village. They are quite organised," Mr Navoka said. "The villagers emphasised that illegal drugs and social problems could be controlled through the strict observance and preservation of the Fijian culture and tradition. They showed us an example of Fijian protocol, beating the village lali when the committee arrived in the village."

The committee was set up following a motion passed in the senate last December to look into the use of illicit drugs and related crimes including sexual crimes and prostitution.

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Buzzby

Having grown up as a village lali, I've got to tell you that this ritual beating was not my favorite part of the job.

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