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The Binoculars of Jah

Episode 5 of 5

Writer Colin Grant explores the relationship between cannabis and culture, and traces its journey from India to Jamaica.

The writer Colin Grant weaves autobiography with history and research to allow us to look at cannabis use and abuse from an original perspective. He explores how tendrils of marijuana smoke drift through literature, music, madness, medicine and mankind鈥檚 desire to meet and exchange.

While the twentieth century was marked by cannabis prohibition, the twenty first century is rediscovering tolerance. Legalisation appears to be snowballing.

But this tolerance comes just as scientists and psychiatrists are becoming increasingly concerned about the drug's links to psychosis, particularly with the global prevalence of higher-strength strains.

In this final Essay, Colin describes how, in the process of writing a book about one of his musical heroes, Bunny Wailer, he finds himself cursed and fearing his own imminent demise. This Essay interrogates marijuana鈥檚 association with culture and creativity and explores the place of the drug in both Hinduism and Rastafari, the spiritual and political movement in Jamaica.

Producer: Kirsty Pope
A Far Shoreline production for 大象传媒 Radio 3

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14 minutes

Last on

Fri 14 Jan 2022 22:45

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  • Fri 14 Jan 2022 22:45

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