Finally, Legalized Marijuana?

John Briceño

Could marijuana soon be legalized, or at least decriminalized? There is support in principle and the matter has been before Cabinet since a special committee released its findings in February 2015, although church organizations have been in opposition. Today, the Leader of the Opposition recorded his side’s willingness to move the process forward, to cheers from the public gallery.

John Briceño, Leader of the Opposition

“It is time for us to stop locking up our young people for a stick of weed.  The time has come for us to decriminalize marijuana smoking and prepare the necessary research to move to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes and in small quantities. (Applause)”

Also as part of his Budget address, Briceño listed five other points he was willing to work with the Government on. They ranged from reducing the national debt, having re-registration in 2017 and not 2018 as proposed; re-directing spending to the “pro-poor” programs such as the food pantry and BOOST; helping the productive sector, with specific mention of the recent potato problem in Cayo and Orange Walk Districts, and revising confidence measures and signing a Sarstoon Protocol in a bi-national process with Guatemala. The Budget debate resumes at nine on Friday morning after concluding just after six p.m. today.