by Linda Straker
- NDC has endorsed 2018 Caricom report on cannabis
- Advocates cannabis decriminalised for recreational and medicinal use
- Issue is one of public health and social dialogue
The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) says it has endorsed the 2018 Caricom Report on Cannabis and wants the ruling New National Party (NNP) Government to adopt the relevant recommendations that will decriminalise cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.
“After must consideration and analytical review and discussion with many people throughout our society as well as listening to the voices of our people through social, electronic, print media whatever, the National Democratic Congress has concluded that the time has come for Grenada to adopt the relevant recommendations of the Caricom regional commission on marijuana as outline in their 2018 document,” Franka Bernardine said in a news conference on Friday.
Bernardine who was elected as the Party’s leader in November 2019 said the NDC endorses the recommendations of the report and calls on government to take the necessary action to amend and enact legislation as necessary. “The time for action is now,” she said.
“At the same time, we call on everyone to respect the existing laws. We are quite clear about advocating against substance abuse and misuse. However, we recognise there are two aspects of the marijuana issue – the medicinal marijuana and the recreational marijuana,” said Bernardine who admitted to never using the drug, but will love to use a marijuana-based medication for her glaucoma.
“The NDC calls on the government to proceed with the processes recommended in the report to decriminalise the use of the drug, both for medicinal purposes and in smaller quantities for personal and religious circumstances as the society sees fit,” she said, sharing examples of medical problems that marijuana has scientifically proven to aid in medical recovery.
“Marijuana roots are used in the treatment of asthma. People who are ill must be able to access these products. We cannot have pharmaceutical companies and big industries come in, market our products, products that we are still behind. There are tremendous implications in all of this for us,” she said.
“We should not allow fair conservative attitudes and uncertainty to hold back innovative initiatives that could help people,” she said, pointing to Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines, along with Antigua and Barbuda, who have all began the legislative process to decriminalise cannabis.
Kennedy Roberts, who serves as the party’s Deputy Chairman, said that the decriminalisation of cannabis should be treated as an important policy issue. “We should be looking at the issue as one of public health and social dialogue,” he said.
Bernardine says that the party will be having a public forum in the coming days where the matter will be the topic of discussion.
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John Thomas go eat some cheese and bread
It will be a huge mistake and disaster to legalize this drug on paper. The rate at which the population already use this substance is already too high. At times, one may think it is already legal.
Can you imagine what the island will be like when most of the population is either higher on weed and/or drunk from alcohol? The foreigners will take whatever little we have left in the blink of an eye.
We need to ban both weed and alcohol forever or at least until our minds are properly developed, which maybe a long time from now based our rate of progress. Wake up Indigenous Grenadians
Firstly, the process of legalization will always involve paperwork. So it’s either illegal or legal. Also, do you have statistics to support your statement of ‘the rate at which the population already use this substance is already too high’ ? It’s true that there’s many Grenadians who use it, but to imply that most of Grenada walks around high as a kite..or has a daily hit of the thing is just insulting and inaccurate.
You also seem to harbor the belief that given official permission, we would lose our heads and ourselves in the race to ingest marijuana as fast as we can because we won’t know when the mighty hand of the government would reach it and take it away–naw…–we are and can be more than that.
Grenada is not and never will be a junkie state. So don’t imply that we won’t be able to manage our internal affairs with the legalization of marijuana. Which tourists is going to come and remove what from beneath our noses? Are you also implying that our country leaders are going to succumb to the high levels of alcohol and marijuana consumption you predicted while our future as a country is in their hands?
Legalizing a substance doesn’t mean free reign. Have you ever heard of regulating a legal substance? Take some time to research that.
And finally, dear sir. To the most offensive message I’ve read in going on two years…who gave you such high understanding that you can look down on MY country…OUR country and say that our minds are underdeveloped? To form a statement like that….you’re tempting my social media manners to break character. This indigenous grenadian wishes a new mind set on yourself. Have a good life.
You obviously don’t understand or have the medical experiences to talk on something which medically is doing wonders.
Educate yourself before talking
The medical properties of cannabis are remarkable THC CBD CBG are all being purchased by medical collages and universities worldwide.
The reasons being that medical, it’s was one of the most underrated drug used in medicine and now is one of the most used drugs in medicines as research heightens.
It been proven in many diagnoses that cannabis help many medical conditions from Parkinson, As, high blood pressure etc etc we can go on and on what it’s dose the bottom line is medical or recreational there is a needs for it in society.
If you look at Grenadians as alcoholics and dope heads then that’s clear the way you think and how you see things maybe you need to blink and realise more and more countries are benefiting from this financially and medically Grenada has a wonderful university which should be more involved and researching of its properties.
if the US Canada soon the UK doing cannabis exemption cards Greece Spain German all growing cannabis for medical and recreational use, then Grenada shouldn’t because you don’t want to move forward as a country the income for this alone will improve life for every Grenadian on the island creating jobs more student to the island to research and tourism as countries which have legalised it have increase of tourism up to 38% more then when they didn’t
the revenue can go towards renewable energy in Grenada tidal power, solar power, wind turbines new roads, state of the art science collage anything possible with CBG now selling at $24,000 per kg I think it’s best you start mass production like Maurice Bishop Get some real revenue in and improve life on the island for every individual
1 Medical cannabis companies make more money then the Grenada as a whole per year be real Grenadian need this and needs to be direct on how it’s dose things
Marijuana is a good natural medicine, no doubt. And yes, some people enjoy smoking it simply for the relaxing mood. Legalize it now as many countries have. In USA they regulate it, tax it, and give permits to growers. The quality of the commercially grown product is far superior to what a Rasta may grow in the bush. Which, by the way, take only minutes to find on Grand Anse or BBC beaches.
Now, on the other hand keep harsh laws in place for those who sell cocaine, meth, and other powders of death. Pull those dealers out of the darkness and into the light and let police deal with them one time.