Education Minister Doesn’t Buy Theory against Decriminalized Weed

A primary argument for those opposed to the recent decriminalization law is that Belize already has high rates of students smoking marijuana fairly regularly. They argue that decriminalization would increase that rate and make it more attractive. While the law does allow that no marijuana can be carried onto school properties, today Minister of Education Patrick Faber contended that it is not true that the law would exacerbate the problem – after all, he pointed out, alcohol abuse is a similar issue. Ultimately, he said, the matter is best left to parents of underage consumers, assisted by the soon-to-come rehabilitation programs organized by the National Drug Abuse Control Council.

Patrick Faber

Patrick Faber, Minister of Education

“It’s almost like people are saying, because marijuana has been decriminalized, that it is now the fact that the people that will engage with this freely, especially students. I don’t necessarily agree with that. Alcohol has been legal for many, many years now, and still there is a fight in our schools, in our communities, to try to keep our young people away from alcohol until they are of an age that they can make the choice soberly – play on words. We hope that that is the case as well for something like marijuana, that we should all try to keep it away from our children. Certainly, decriminalizing marijuana does not suggest that children should be smoking marijuana or that young people should be smoking marijuana; it just gives an opportunity now to again be better parents, better stewards of what we want to see our children and our young people do. And that is always a matter of conscience and a matter for parents and those working in the wider society to try to dictate to their young people.”