The marijuana referendum is a go after the churches managed to get signatures from over 10% of Belize's population. While no date has been set as yet, the Minister of New Growth Industries explained that it must be done within the next two months.
But what does the minister who championed this bill think about a referendum this late in the game? Well you've heard him say that it's all part of the democratic system. But is he secretly nursing hurt feelings considering the work he has put in?
We asked him today, but he's confident that the vote will be for legalization and that Belize will set the trend.
Hon. Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"From that day the Governor General then has 30 days in which to issue the writ of referenda which also has on it a 30-day limit, so in all you're looking at a possible 60-day period, so no day later than September 4th we should be having the referendum."
Reporter
"Do you feel in a way that all the work you've put in, all the consultation you put into this bill might just disappear like that considering that there is a chance that people will vote no."
Hon. Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"I don't feel that way and it's not just my bill, it is a bill from cabinet. Yes, we have done a lot of consultations and that was very important especially for me, because we have to get the industry right. We've seen in other parts of the world like the United States where it's extremely profitable there, but in other countries its not so profitable and so we have to tailor the bill to ensure that 1) the government does get a tax revenue from it and could possibly be substantially so and as well that we have the social equity portion of it, so that's something very unique to Belize and other Caribbean countries are looking to that and saying you know what we need to include the small farmers, the guys who have been in the industry, running it illegally for so many years. They are a critical part moving forward and so we have to incorporate them in the industry if it is that the vote for a referendum is a yes."
Reporter
"But have you thought about the possibility what happens if you get a no. What happens then?"
Hon. Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"I don't feel that it will be a no, because I feel that Belizeans on a whole understand what the vote means, they understand the practicality of it, they understand that the day after election Marijuana will still be legal whether they vote yes or no. It is for us to make sense out of nonsense, because the current law makes no sense whatsoever that you can possess marijuana but you don't have anywhere to purchase it from, you have no way of growing it and so yes the decriminalization in 2017 was a very big step, but it was not the complete step that makes sense and so we are looking to create an industry around it that is responsible, that will have in it regulations and control to ensure that cannabis is not in the hands of young people under the age of 21 and ofcourse there is also the aspect of taxes. 20% of the taxes are going to rehab programs which do not exist in Belize right now. It's going to sporting programs, programs like this to enhance and to develop our young people."
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