Cannabis In Gaza, By Ziv Genesove

How many words have already been spilled on the Gaza Strip?

The place is controlled by the good fellows from Hamas, that despite 15 years in power have failed to provide consistent electricity or potable water in the taps of the unfortunate citizens who live there. If we also take into account the frequent attacks that this area suffers from the most powerful air force in the Middle East, one can understand why there are Gazans who want to burn something to pass the day in this difficult reality.

 

After much effort, we were able to contact Amjad, who spent a significant part of his life smoking cannabis on the shores of Gaza. He agreed to share his experiences from the Cannabis scene in Gaza.

 

So, what is it like to be a cannabis consumer in the Gaza Strip? And is it worth risking getting tangled with Hamas's police just for a small toke?

 

"Half a year in jail for one cigarette"

 

"I discovered the hashish at the age of 17-18, while I was hanging out with some brats, I would smoke a regular cigarette," Says Amjad "I liked it, so I took another one, and then another, and the matter continued. I went through a complex period and at some point, I began dealing to finance my new hobby: my dealer would bring ten grams, he told me 'Sell 7-8 grams, and leave you a gram or two to enjoy'. time passed, and we were selling hashish in special events and celebrations. The price per gram of Hashish today is 20-25 NIS per gram (4-5 GBP), and if there is an event or a wedding and you are lucky, you can get 2-3 cigarettes (for yourself)."

 

After a long period of smoking and dealing, he began to fear that Hamas police would overtake him.

 

"At a certain time there were police activities in Gaza (against drug dealers), and since we are a tribal society, I was afraid people will start to talk, I began to be worried that they would put me in jail because of the cannabis, and the penalties became harsher - today if you are caught with a cigarette you get half a year in jail if you possess a larger amount you can be sent for years in prison."

 

"Gazans turn to drugs to escape reality "

 

Doctor Osama Mustafa al-Hoadri, working at an Addiction Treatment Center inside a local Mental Health hospital for 5 years or so.

 

"Usually a consumer approaches treatment in a state that he is no longer able to obtain the drug", says al-Hoadri, "then he is afraid of the withdrawal symptoms, which varies from one person to another. It can be an expression of strained muscles, it can be an expression of hallucinations, it can be an expression of dark thoughts or ideas".

 

According to al-Huadri, it is of paramount importance that the patient approaches the rehab center on his own initiative:

 

"the user needs to seek treatment from his personal will, and not while under some pressure from the wife, or father or mother or brother. It is the most important step, that the person who turns to us only when he wants to be cured."

 

Dr. Al-Hoadri shared with us part of the process that the patient needs to go through in rehab:

 

"The second step is the overall assessment stage, during this phase, we study the situation, we consider all the circumstances in the treatment and according to the personal needs, and the mental tendencies of the patient who pushed him to this addiction. The next stage is confiscating the drugs, the withdrawal of the drugs from his body, and the cleansing of the patient's blood".

 

After the treatment, the staff at the medical center helps the patient to reintegrate back into his family and social life:

 

"Many of the drug consumers in Gaza had stopped communicating with their family and companions. In the rehab center, we contact the parents of the patient, talk with the brothers, with the wife, in an attempt to reduce the gap between them, integrate him into society and return him to his natural state".

 

Al-Huadri says that the rounds of combat in the Gaza Strip are only increasing drug use among Gazans:

 

"The escalation of the fighting (in Gaza) is reflected in the mental state of people and their economic situation, I think these are the primary reasons why Gazans are fleeing the pressures of life and turn to drugs as an escape from reality."

 

"The main goal of the Israeli government is for the Palestinian people to be addicted to drugs"

 

After hearing the words of the professional, we were intrigued to know how the simple Gazan citizen views the cannabis issue, so we took to the streets and asked the locals how common (in their estimation) the use of cannabis in Gaza strip is?

 

The estimates we received ranged from 2% to 3%, all the way up to 70%. then we asked what might happen if a Hamas policeman caught you with a small piece of Hashish?

 

"The standard punishment for anyone caught with drugs is in accordance with the legal measures in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank. And according to the amount (of drugs found) or how the person behaved when he was caught by the police," says Aziz.

 

Another Gaza resident named Kamel, who identified himself as a lawyer, said that surprisingly, in some cases the punishment could be administered as treatment in a rehab center - instead of jailing someone in prison.

 

Next, we asked what is the source of cannabis found in Gaza? Is it based on local growth or perhaps on smuggling from outside? And who is behind the cannabis industry in the Gaza Strip?

 

"The first and last who benefits from drug smuggling in the Gaza Strip is the Zionist occupation. They want the Palestinian youth to lose their consciousness, and stay at an inability to think". tells us a Gaza resident named Marwan.

 

"The Israeli people profit the most from the smuggling. The main goal of the Israeli government is for the Palestinian people to be addicted to drugs." Says Aziz and continues with the same line of thought.

 

Even Dr. Al-Hoadri echoes the argument that Israel distributes drugs in Gaza:

 

"There is no doubt that the occupation forces support the distribution of drugs in Gaza. They have an interest in distributing these drugs in order to control the population."

 

It is worth mentioning that the Palestinian narrative has been arguing for years that Israel is trying to harm them by distributing drugs: In 2013, the governor of Ramallah, Laila Nam, claimed that "drugs are one of the means through which the occupation aims to damage the infrastructure of our society". A year later, the speaker of the Palestinian security forces, Adnan al-Damiri, went with this conspiracy one step too far, when at a press conference he claimed they found a Israeli drug laboratory that "specialized in turning marijuana into heroin". So it might be fait to take at least some of the Palestinians accusations with a grain of salt.

 

When we asked the locals what they thought of the idea of ​​legalizing cannabis in Gaza, they were not too enthusiastic about the initiative:

 

"I'm not sure, we are Muslim people living in an Eastern society - it is not like the Western society, where it is allowed. We have Islam, and according to Islam these kinds of things must not be done openly. says Mustafa, another Gaza resident named Adnan, agrees with him:

 

"This is not possible because the Palestinian society is conservative. We are Muslims, and we know our laws and our tradition, our religion and origin, which do not allow us to drink or smoke like the Christians in Western countries."

 

Even Kamel the lawyer thinks that Cannabis legalization is not suitable for Gaza: "Western countries succumbed to the plague of drugs, so they have no choice but to regulate the Cannabis trade, but for the people of Gaza this idea will not work.

 

Dr. Al-Hoadri also thinks that the legalization of cannabis in Gaza is a problematic proposition:

 

"I believe that the situation in Gaza is very difficult and not suitable to make such a trial. Especially regarding control and supervision here in Gaza, which is very weak. I believe that Canada and some European countries have allowed the smoking of marijuana cigarettes for those over the age of 18 years. An experience like this requires strict control, which as I said is not the case with us."

 

So, it seems like the legalization of cannabis in Gaza might not take place any time soon, which is a shame, because if there is a population in the world that deserves a decent rest and peace of mind - no doubt it's the people of Gaza.

Written and Published By Ziv Genesove in Weed World Magazine issue 153

Image: Unsplashed Ahmed Abu Hameeda