And while this episode of "Keeping Up With the Ashcroft's" continues behind the cameras, another bill in the spotlight in today's House Meeting was the Misuse of Drugs Amendment. While Shyne spoke extensively on how the 11th Amendment seeks to target marginalized persons, he agreed that this bill works in favor of those. He encourages the ministry to seek ways to include even the smaller "durrs" and he dealers on the streets.
Hon. Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"There are many times when I don't disagree with the government, but this is one of the times that I agree with the government. I applaud the government for taking such a bold step towards removing the criminality if cannabis consumption and cannabis trade which has the criminalization of cannabis has impacted the poor and lower class for generations. So I applaud the government Minister Kareem Musa for taking such a bold step that will not only reverse generations of discrimination and classism but also help to boost our economy. because the economic ramifications of the legalization of cannabis are tremendous. I just hope that I've looked at the legislation and I will discuss it. I sit on the house committee for national security and border and I will certainly raise to my colleagues the fact that we want to make sure that this is no exclusion in this legislation."
"We have to make sure that those lower class working people who have had to engage in the marijuana trade in order to survive are not boxed out by the big men, by the rich, wealthy and powerful, so there has to be provisions to ensure, because I already saw something in the legislation that says they have to do a background check and they have to do an Interpol check, so I hope and I pray that the Honorable Minister of Police and New Industries will ensure that everyone who was convicted of a marijuana charge, a drug trafficking charge will have their records expunge and that they be able to participate in the marijuana trade."
