High Priest Rithmond McKinney.
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
MEMBERS of the Rastafarian community want to see “special provisions” put in place for them as it relates to the manufacturing and cultivation of cannabis for medicinal use once legislation has been passed.
Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced earlier this month the government is currently completing legislation to legalise medicinal marijuana.
Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, head of the Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress (EABIC) Bahamas branch, Priest Rithmond McKinney said while the community supports the move, they want assurance Rastafarians will be a part of the marijuana industry when made legal, as they have suffered the most because of the criminalisation of the popular herb.
The government’s Economic Recovery Committee (ERC), in its report late last year, recommended all Bahamas-based companies involved in the production, manufacturing, sale and export of cannabis must have a “minimum” of 50 percent Bahamian ownership.
Priest McKinney said: “We’re hearing on the street and through the grapevine that it will only be for the elites and certain persons are only in motion so we’re waiting to see the outcome from the government.
“We’ve been victimised, profiled and incarcerated for years so we feel as though that we should be a part of the economic programme going forward and I think special provisions should be set for us because we’ve been saying for a very long time that this is something that’s good for the human body. So, we’re hoping and demanding our fundamental rights in the (medicinal) cannabis industry and when it comes to our sacramental rights.
“We declared repeatedly that we should be included and so we’re waiting to see and I think our community will have a call on the Prime Minister so we can have some talks and they can tell us where we are in this whole industry going forward.”
He said the community also will be waiting to hear about business licence requirements pertaining to the medical cannabis industry.
He continued: “Concerning the export, we’re looking to that because it sounds very good but who all will be able to participate when it comes to exporting and doing this because you need to be certified and have the proper facilities…so we hope that the majority will be able to benefit for those who get into the business and we hope the small man can benefit.’”
As it relates to the issue of the drug being made legal for sacramental use, he said members are still anxiously waiting to receive word from the Prime Minister on the matter.
On Friday, Priest McKinney along with other spokespersons from the Rastafarian community met with Attorney General Carl Bethel and other officials to discuss the proposed legislation.
The group has been agitating for marijuana reform for several years.
The Minnis administration has said it is working “aggressively” to have the records expunged for those found with small amounts of marijuana.
However, given officials’ promise, the religious leader questioned why young Bahamians are still being hauled before the courts for marijuana possession and burdened with criminal records.
He said: “We went to the AG’s Office on Friday because now for the last couple months, we feel like it’s a relentless campaign against the Rasta man now and they’ve been profiled and locked up for small amounts and people’s houses have still been wrecked and searched for small amounts of marijuana and they’re still being pulled before the courts.
“. . .So we were saying for the last couple months to use your discretion seeing that something is coming and we was pleading on the Commissioner of Police and the Minister of National Security to really use some sort of discretion but that hasn’t happened so we went to the Attorney General and spoke to him about it and he said that’s something that they should look at it.”
Comments
tribanon 3 years, 2 months ago
LMAO
sheeprunner12 3 years, 2 months ago
This is not growing and roasting peanuts for street hackers ......... this is BIG money for the special interests
The_Oracle 3 years, 2 months ago
And I seriously doubt "Sacramental"use will be considered either. However, me thinks employees will be calling in sick with the excuse that "They're on their Meds" Drug testing will become big business and add to company operational costs. Can't be wasted on forklifts, operating heavy machinery, control room operations for industry, power co, etc. Even truck drivers, etc. What a can of worms.
TalRussell 3 years, 2 months ago
It doesn't take a village to rise to ask, why Mr. Minnis, decided to exclude appointing of a comrade member from the Rastafarian community onto his National Commission for the cultivating, selling, packaging and exporting of Weed Commission?
hrysippus 3 years, 2 months ago
I do not buy into to the logic here expressed that the Rastafarian community somehow is entitled to special dispensation with regards to the Cannabis industry. By the same logic Catholics and Anglicans should be entitled to special treatment in the liquor store business because they all use an alcoholic beverage as a sacrament.
Bonefishpete 3 years, 2 months ago
I suspect that recreational marijuana will be on the 2022 Florida ballot. I believe it will pass. Bahamas will have less than two years to get this right or kiss their tourist trade goodbye.
American Tourists will not put up with being dragged off cruise ships and arrested for Dangerous Drugs.
I say this not as a bad thing or a good thing but just the way it is. It is what it is.
President Biden and the Democratic Congress may simply legalize marijuana on a federal level. The clock is ticking.
SP 3 years, 2 months ago
Too late. The US, European & Canadian tourists are already bypassing the Bahamas for Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Mexico. All destinations with either legal or relaxed laws on recreational marijuana use by tourists. Anyone EVER heard of a tourist being arrested, jailed, and deported for smoking a joint in any of those countries?
ONLY IN THE BAHAMAS!
As usual, as the Bahamas spins around reinventing the wheel on recreational marijuana we have missed the bus while competing resort destinations rack in the profits.
Response to an industry survey in the early 1980's questioning tourists about what was the worst part of a Bahamas vacation experience. The biggest complaint was "there was not enough to do".
Here we are in 2021 and there is much less for tourists to do now than ever before!
Many thanks, PLP & FNM for "leading" our country, people, and tourism product, steadily into the ground.
TalRussell 3 years, 2 months ago
Ever been public accounting disclosures for all the millions of cash loots, jewelry, and various valuables, and etc, etc so confiscated at our airports and ports of entry - and so court-ordered - including planes, properties, boats, business inventories and equipment, along with vehicles, and weed and guns?
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