Marijuana production in the Caribbean: Just Say Yes

By Rebecca Theodore

The clarion call of ‘just say no’ for the juvenile drug prevention movement of the 1980s is no more. Despite  a  widely publicized  international drug  abuse  resistance  education  program,  that partially   found its  way into  many schools in the Caribbean, the program did  little or nothing to combat substance abuse use in youths.

It  is  bizarre  how  an over exaggerated one-dimensional  three   word  mantra  ignited  panic and ignorance instead of information in the  minds of  many  people  in the  Caribbean.  Despite  the  present  discussions on  the  economic,  medicinal  and  legalization issues  of  marijuana by the  international community, the   three   word  mantra  of  ‘just  say no,’ still continues to  demonize and   brand marijuana   as an  immoral  subject  of controversy  in  Caribbean  society.

But now, the   timeline is changing.  It is time to just say yes.

It is  time  for the  Regional Marijuana Commission to just  say yes  to  cure  the    ignorance associated  with  the  use  of  medical  marijuana in the  Caribbean.  It is time for   CARICOM heads of government to just say yes to the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana. It is  time   for the  United  Nations  office on drugs  and  crime  (UNODC) to just say yes  to   discussions  on the  nexus  between  plant  based  drugs  and  synthetic  drugs,  and  examine   current  estimates  and  trends in marijuana production  for the  fragile   economies  of  many  Caribbean  states.

For, not  only will marijuana legalization and production  in the  Caribbean   fund  educational programs  and  welfare services, but it  will   basically save Caribbean  states  from the economic depression that  they  are  presently  experiencing.

As of now, religious and conservative leaders in the Caribbean still point to the assumption that   marijuana legalization is morally unacceptable, as it contributes to the erosion of family bonds and social value.  Proponents  point to the  view  that  marijuana  production in the  Caribbean  will  evoke  a  greater  measure  of  systematic  racism, evoking   the  words  of New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon, that “Now that cannabis is exploding as an industry, we have to make sure that those communities that have been harmed and devastated by marijuana arrests get the first shot at this industry, We [must] prioritize them in terms of licenses. It’s a form of reparations.”

Whatever is  inferred by this, conversely, the speed with which some  American  states,  Canada  and  the  rest  of the  developing  world   are   legalizing marijuana,  should  beckon the  attention  of  Caribbean  states to  use  the  opportunity  to explore the intricacy of public opinion towards marijuana legalization and its inference for public policy development.

According to the World Drug Report 2017, much more research  need to be done on the medicinal uses of marijuana, to ensure affordable access to effective scientific evidence-based prevention, treatment and care for the people who desperately need them.  This means  that  there   must also be capacity-building and technical assistance  and funding  for  marijuana  production  to  achieve  its medicinal  and  economic  aims   in the  Caribbean. Further resources are urgently needed by the  international community to help all member states of the  Caribbean to  implement and   promote  more   decisive  actions  to achieve consensus on a way forward for joint action, not  only  on the medical  uses  of  marijuana but  also  on the  economic  issues  as  well.

It is now time for the Caribbean to thoroughly change route, and admit to the realities of marijuana use and its core economic factors, and – Just Say Yes.

Rebecca Theodore is a syndicated op-ed columnist based in NY.  She  writes  on the  platform  of  politics, national  security, human  rights  and  climate  change.  Follow her on twitter @rebethd