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The Good and The Bad of Ganja
posted (August 18, 2017)
As you just saw Pastor Louis Wade is against the passing of the amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Act. We spoke to Wade, after his sharp exchange with the Prime Minister, about what he doesn't like about the law. But first, here's what someone on the opposite side of the argument has to say. Clinton "Pulu" Lightburn is a long time proponent for the legalization of marijuana, and has voiced his opinion on the subject on this newscast several times before. He gave us his thoughts on the newly read amendment, and what he thinks is the way forward...

Clinton "Pulu" Lightburn, For Decriminalization
"I think it's a step in the right direction, but there is a lot more that needs to be done for us to get it right. I think what we are doing as I would say in creole "dem di play haul and back." The reality of it is that the world has found out that what we were taught about marijuana was wrong, misleading and purposely done so. The reality of it is that scientist have found out through various studies done by universities in the Ivy League, in Europe and a lot of other places in the world. And it has been discovered that marijuana has over 400 medicinal properties. As opposed to cigarette which has over 4,000 poisons. So for those advocates who are against marijuana, before we go even farther I want you to answer this question for me: Why is it that tobacco which has over 4,000 poisons is legal and marijuana which has over 400 medicinal properties is illegal?"

Reporter
"In order for us to get that legalize place how much more do we have to go? Do we need more push back from the people? From the Opposition? From who?"

Clinton "Pulu" Lightburn, For Decriminalization
"It will be time. Time will take care of everything. We cannot get away from it. Marijuana worldwide is going to be legal within the next 10 years, unless you are a draconian country. The countries that are still going to have marijuana as being illegal are going to be countries where there are no human rights."

And while Lightburn claims that all 400 of those "medicinal properties" are positive, Louis Wade says that only 50 of them have been identified by scientists. Wade also told us about his objection to marijuana being restricted by amount as opposed to blood content. Here's what he had to say...

Louis Wade, Against Decriminalization
"Imagine if alcohol was regulated in this country based upon how much rum you had on you on the moment the police comes. That's is not how drugs work. It's not when they bust you in an accident they count the pint bottles that you have on you. That is not science. What is done is a drug test is taken and the law prescribes a legal limit for alcohol consumption. It's not how much pint bottles you have. I don't know where the Prime Minister's cabinet got the concept that marijuana should be regulated based upon how much you have on you. Alcohol is measured based upon a legal limit and my question to the Prime Minister that he could not answer was very simple: What is the legal limit for marijuana in the blood? He could not answer that, because every kind of marijuana contains different quantities of Tetrahydrocannabinol just like how every beer versus tequila versus elephant foot has a different. It is very simple science that we ask the Prime Minister."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"I know you are a scientist or scientifically disposed, but your objection is not only scientific, it is also moral. You believe that smoking marijuana is indicative or will lead to moral laxity or breakdown."

Louis Wade, Against Decriminalization
"No. Marijuana comes from a plant just like cocaine comes from a plant, just like alcohol comes from a plant, just like heroine comes from a plant. Plants have chemicals. It just so happens that marijuana has 420 Tetrahydrocannabinol of which science has only identified and tested 50 of the 420. When a person smokes marijuana they add heat to 420 chemicals, so a chemical reaction takes place and the 420 chemicals turn into something else. So we are looking at the science of marijuana in the first instance."

The National Evangelical Association of Belize, which Wade is a part of, submitted several medical studies to the PM which outline the detriments of marijuana usage, and they urged the government reconsider passing the amendment.

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