Churches await writ of referendum
Black Immigrant Daily News
“So, we are about to see what kind of government we have, and the church will not be afraid to show the nation what kind of government we have, depending on their reaction to the results of the referendum. As I’ve said before, we have skin in the game, and we are not going anywhere,” stated Pastor Louis Wade today.
by Marco Lopez
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. July 7, 2022
This week, it was announced that the number of signatures of Belizean voters that had been garnered by the churches met the 10% threshold to trigger a referendum on the legalization of cannabis. Today, a joint press release from the churches, under an umbrella moniker, the “Belize Coalition of Churches”, thanked the Belizean people, organizers, and benefactors who made what they call an “unprecedented moment possible.” Indeed, the churches achieved a historic feat by triggering the referendum, and today, Pastor Louis Wade told local media that they are now doubling down on their efforts to convince the public to oppose marijuana legalization
within the next 60 days—the period of time that will likely elapse before the referendum is held.
“We believe that time is on our side. When we went into the street, we had extended dialogue with the citizens of this nation, and they have their reasons for forcing the government to a referendum, and they have their reason why they will vote no. We believe, however, that since the period of time that we went out on the streets, there is new information which shows us even more why we should reject marijuana legalization in Belize,” Pastor Louis Wade said.
Wade, who expressed the churches’ belief that the government has not put forward a strong argument for the legalization of cannabis and creation of a cannabis industry, said that they want the opportunity to share the vital pieces of information they have with the public.
In pointing to what the churches consider one of the major shortfalls in GoB’s plan to lay the groundwork for a cannabis industry, Wade said, “They are simply talking about economic, but they have not shown us where the Police Department, for example, at the present moment, is able to regulate a marijuana industry…” He claimed that, according to information they’ve received from the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), the Government of Belize has stopped representatives from that entity from going out to test cannabis fields.
“We also know that the committee has not met for almost a year and a half, since this government came to office,” Wade claimed. He asserted that right now, the government has been able to “talk”, but “has not demonstrated the ability to regulate marijuana as we speak”. “And so,” he went on to say, “we will be putting our campaign forward as soon as the Governor-General makes the writ and releases it. We are confident that Belizeans know the damage that marijuana has done in their community and their household.”
The efforts of the churches to convince members of the public to oppose the legalization of marijuana via a referendum vote, is taking place within a local legal framework that, according to the Bar Association, does not render the referendum results binding—meaning that the government is not legally required to comply with the results. When asked today by AMANDALA what the churches hope to achieve by the non-binding demonstration of democracy, Pastor Wade responded that the government’s course of action following the referendum will show its true colors.
“We did not elect demi-gods; we elected people who said they would be servants of the people, and I believe that should the people of Belize speak to say we do not want marijuana legalized, I believe that, whether or not the government thinks it is powerful enough or popular enough, I think the question is whether or not they will be humble enough to be able to say ‘we stand corrected’. So, we are about to see what kind of government we have, and the church will not be afraid to show the nation what kind of government we have, depending on their reaction to the results of the referendum. As I’ve said before, we have skin in the game, and we are not going anywhere,” said Wade.
He said that this process is not the church imposing its position on the masses, but that the churches have taken on a leadership role in the democratic process, and the people, according to Wade, have given them the mantle, adding that this issue is just one of many that need to be put to the people through a referendum.
“This is a good time,” Wade said. He continued, “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: there are many other issues that need to be put before the people of Belize in referenda. We should not be afraid of this process, because it is the purest form of hearing the voice of the people on any issues, especially on controversial issues. “
Pastor Wade claimed that the government is attempting a wholesale “liberalization” of the country and culture in regard to marijuana use in Belize.
”The exact word of Minister Musa, on a program called Taboo, was that his objective was to legalize recreation marijuana absolutely, no restrictions, if he would have his way. So the current agenda is an ultra-liberalization of drugs in Belize. There is no way we will endorse that,” Wade said.
Those remarks were made by Wade in response to a question posed by AMANDALA regarding the church’s position on the legalization of industrial hemp. It is well known that industrial hemp is the plant species of Cannabis that produces a non-psychoactive quantity of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). According to international standards, hemp plants contain 0.3 percent or less THC.
Wade, however, pointed to a challenge being faced by local hemp growers within the global hemp market: the difficulty in ensuring that the THC content in their hemp plants does not exceed 0.3 percent—which would result in those plants being classified as marijuana and thus being subject to destruction. He suggested that this was one of the key reasons for the push to legalize cannabis.
“Whenever the plant passes the CBD test and the THC test, where the content is particular level then there are industrial uses for that product. The problem in Belize is the testing of hemp. One of the reasons why they are trying to legalize it is because the hemp industry in Belize is having a problem keeping the THC content below the legal level,” Wade said.
“This is why we cannot simply rubber-stamp the hemp industry in Belize, because we are unable to regulate it. There is a problem in the hemp industry in Belize right now, in industrial hemp, where the farmers are unable to control THC content. That is why the government is seeking to blanket-legalize marijuana, because then at that point the quantity of THC in your plant becomes irrelevant,” Wade claimed.
However, when Minister of New Growth Industries, Hon. Kareem Musa, appeared on an episode of the Taboo talk show, that was produced by Color Blind production and aired in early May, he gave a brief outline of the steps taken by the government to roll out an industry so far.
“The point is, we are now going to adult use, cannabis, and so we are not there at full legalization. What we are legalizing is the industry around it, and so we are creating all of these licenses, and so you do have to get a license in order to cultivate. You do need a license to be a dispensary, to be a security provider, to be a consumption lodge. And that’s another thing, cause I heard you discussing smoking out in public. That is still not going to be legal, smoking in public… You still have to still smoke at a private residence or in a consumption lodge, and it does not mean that you can have any amount of cannabis that you want … It’s now 28 grams, and I know people might think that’s a big jump… it really isn’t. So, there are certain things that we still have to understand, that it is not full-blown legalization. We’re not there yet,” Hon. Musa had said.
Hon. Musa had also stated that some key objectives that GoB is aiming to achieve through legalization are increased revenue generation for the government, and the opening of mainstream cultivation for farmers who currently make a living through illegal cultivation of marijuana. The social equity license, which allows small players to become involved in the industry and which is included in Belize’s draft legislation, is a novel one, Hon. Musa said.
“We are one of the few countries in the world that actually have a social equity license, and I can tell you that in the US, a lot of the states are now following suit, because they realize that it’s not just about big business. This thing has a social impact as well…,” Hon. Musa said.
All parties await the Governor-General, Dame Froyla Tzalam’s release of the writ of referendum, which is expected to take place sometime before the end of this month.
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