So the Marijuana bill is going through the motions and Minister Musa says there may be a third set of amendments after revision from the social partners in the Senate. But one thing that will remain, as you just heard, is that you'll need a special "Weed ID" to purchase marijuana from dispensaries. We asked the minister if he thinks the everyday marijuana smokers who live below the poverty line would be able to afford this.
Hon. Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries
"I think it is an expense that the domestic population that consumes is willing to pay. It is far better than having to be charged every other week and having to pay fines to the court of $200, $500, $1,000 just for having in your possession marijuana and so it's a far less cost that you have to pay, but at the same time we have to be able to see a revenue for it for the government of the day. We also need to have a proper enforcement in place, so the cannabis monitoring unit that would be going around testing the various cannabis products across the country, they are going to need resources in order to do their jobs and so we believe it is a very small cost to pay given the fact like I said. Historically it has resulted in severe fines, it has even resulted in incarceration and so it's a far cry from the fines and incarceration."
"I've spoken with a lot of them and all of them are in support. Of course, they have their concerns, they've been burst by politicians in the past, but if it's one thing that we are going to ensure is that obviously we cannot include everybody. We have to be real when you are creating a new industry, but at the same time those farmers who had been doing in illegally, we have to find a way to grandfathered them into a social equity licensed and we have to ensure that they are growing very safe products up to standards' Again, because we will be providing this not just to locals but to tourists as well and so there is a lot of training that will have to go into it for the social equity licenses as well, but also the dealers on the streets, especially Belize City we have to find a way to incorporate them. Like I said it cannot be everybody that will be incorporated, but our focus has to be on definitely getting them into the industry, because it makes absolutely no sense for us not to include them and then to be competing with them, because I am sure they will continue their illicit trade if they are not in our industry, they will continue importing Mexican cannabis and so that makes no sense for any of us."
