Cabinet Looks at Cannabis Referendum, Shrimp Industry and Monkey Pox

Elsewhere in today’s Cabinet brief, Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde and Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Religious Affairs provided an update on a recent meeting with church leaders.  During the meeting, the issue of holding the cannabis referendum was raised.  Following the meeting, Cabinet accepted the recommendation to postpone the referendum until further notice.  Meanwhile, necessary amendments to the cannabis legislation will be made to ensure that the bill will only be brought into force once the referendum has been held. The Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise also informed that the shrimp industry in on the rebound.  In 2015, the local industry was severely crippled when the Early Mortality Syndrome was detected.  The Ministry of Agriculture anticipates that shrimp production in 2022 can reach as high as two point five million pounds, with a value of over twelve and a half million dollars. Meanwhile, Minister of Health and Wellness, Kevin Bernard updates Cabinet on several health issues, including the ministry’s preparedness for the likelihood of monkey pox being detected in Belize.  Furthermore, the minister reported on a case of polio detected in the United States and gave assurances of government’s efforts to ensure that Belize returns to ninety-five percent of children in the country be vaccinated against polio.