A New Jamaica in Belize?
The inhabitants of the island of Caye Caulker, which belongs to Belize, are preparing to vote on October 8 in the country’s first referendum on cannabis. The question is whether to legalize the sale and consumption of marijuana on the island.
Belize Island May Become New Cannabis Paradise in the Caribbean
Caye Caulker is part of the Caribbean islands nation Belize. On October 8, the inhabitants of this small island will vote in a referendum on cannabis legalization. It is not only about smoking, but also about boosting the local economy. The goal is to create a regulated and taxable cannabis sector, with a portion of the revenue going directly to the development of Caye Caulker.
What Could This Mean for the Island and for Belize as a Whole?
The issue has been debated around the country for years, but now, thanks to a movement started by one man, the referendum has been approved.
Village councilor Ilya Rosado collected over three hundred signatures to put the issue to a vote. He says the idea came from his desire to help the residents of his community.
“My community has many needs and most of that are things like infrastructure. I have people in my community living without water, electricity. We need proper streets. Our schools need help in terms of their own facilities, their own infrastructure, and we never have enough revenue to be able to render the assistance that I’d like to help. And one of the things that I came up with as a possibility was seeing if we can use this as a way to get additional revenue for our community,” Rosado said, Greater Belize Media reported.
Rosado’s vision is to build a regulated and taxable industry, so that part of the revenue can be reinvested in the island. He also believes that legalization will help eliminate the amount of cannabis available via the black market in Belize. “I definitely don’t want to see this out in the open all over the streets or anything like that,” he said. “As a matter of fact, I think that’s the issue right now. It’s a problem that we have and if with proper regulation. Just like there are laws against public drinking, we can have strict laws against having this out in the open in public.”
The movement to legalize cannabis on the island has received the support of the Minister of Home Affairs & New Growth Industries, Kareem Musa.
According to him, law enforcement would be more efficient in tracking illicit drug routes. “What is a concern to me is the illegal trade of cannabis coming from Mexico every single day, endangering the lives of our young men, especially in the city, causing all of these rivals causing all of these conflicts,” he said, 7NewsBelize reported. “And so, in my opinion, I view the Caye Caulker referendum as a bold initiative by a tourist destination that’s saying, hey, tourism is great, but we want to complement it with something. We want to complement it with a regulated industry that keeps cannabis away from young people, that you have to have a card to access it.”
While Musa argues that a regulated weed industry could boost local tourism and curb drug-related crime, not everyone in the government agrees. Prime Minister John Briceño announced plans to revise the referendum law to prevent local votes from triggering national consequences. Education and Science Minister, Louis Zabaneh, echoed the same words.
Acknowledging the concerns of several members of the government, Rosado have argued that the referendum is in the best interests of Caye Caulker residents. Both Rosado and Musa pointed out that, if implemented, the island will establish special zones for cannabis consumption. “There are special zones and special areas created all the time across Belize, whether it’s the Corozal, Free zone, whether it’s Harvest Caye, whether it’s different EPZs or DPAs throughout the country. Caye Caulker would be a cannabis destination designated as such, sort of like a little Amsterdam, if you will,” Rosado said.
With regulation, cannabis in small quantities will be allowed for legal purchases at licensed vendors around Caye Caulker. Legalization will keep at bay unchecked Mexican stocks and introduce safe and tested products on the market. The choice is now in the hands of the people who will vote in the referendum.
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Stephen Andrews
