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And while the CARSI funding is one thing, outside of that funding regime, the US also assists Belize with marijuana eradication efforts. At least four times since 2013, the US has lent helicopter support to the BDF and police to go on major drug destruction campaigns in the remote areas of Belize. The exercises produced record numbers of fields destroyed, but, many ask, to what end? That's because three states in the US and the seat of the federal government, Washington DC have voted to legalize recreational marijuana. So where does that put Belize, which is still fighting a sort of make believe drug war against weed? We asked the senior US official that question pointedly today and he said it is an evolving issue:…

Bruce Matthews - U.S. Chargé d'affaires

"It's an issue that's evolving for us. You have to keep in mind that those states might have legalised use of marijuana, it's still a federal crime. So from a federal stand point, it's still an illegal drug, so it's different for us in that regard, it brings up issue sand problems were going to have to work through and how to make it all work. In terms of our foreign policy, from a federal standpoint it's still an illegal drug. Going to the front of your question and asking if it's the right thing to do, is it productive? It's not something we're going to exclude at this point but I think we do recognise that's not the sole thing we should be doing, it's not the sole avenue for solving this problem, it's a long term problem and there is going to be a long term solution."

Jules Vasquez

"The federal government of the united stats is doing all it can to shut down Belize's offshore services sector. You told us to go into services, we went into services and yet we saw a massive indictment come down. An extension of the laws that we were made to pass in accordance to various federal regulations. I'm trying to understand, don't grow the marijuana, good, excellent but what should small vulnerable economies goes into if the servicing sector is closed?

Rt. Col George Lovell - CEO, Ministry of National Security

"Jules I know that the discussions that you are going through are very interesting, but I would want because he didn't really come here to go through all those level of discussions, he came here to discuss the CARSI programme, unless you want to."

Bruce Matthews

"It's outside of the scope that we were planning to talk about, we're not trying to shut down your services sectors. I don't see that at all and I absolutely, adamantly disagree with that. That said, it's nice to get back to the fact what we're trying to do here is provide funds for mutual benefit to the ministry of national security to run their programmes."