An interesting presentation by Minister Kerrie Symmonds during the debate of the Sacramental Cannabis Bill 2019. His address starts at 1hr.15min of the video. It is interesting because he crafted his delivery in a social justice context. There is another view the government has been moving with unholy haste to force this Bill through the legislative…
An interesting presentation by Minister Kerrie Symmonds during the debate of the Sacramental Cannabis Bill 2019. His address starts at 1hr.15min of the video. It is interesting because he crafted his delivery in a social justice context.
There is another view the government has been moving with unholy haste to force this Bill through the legislative process.
not crossing wunna but de PM working non stop.
@Miller
A good point.
Time to cut the bullspit and legalise marijuana for recreational use.
Grant pardons to the small fry offenders and let them out of Dodds.
The government has finally run out of road and it only took 18 months, let’s see what they crash into.
Barbados voters need to stop electing uneducated trash.
BTW..i watched an African video last night, let’s hope Mia did not go down there lying and telling the people that she is president of Barbados, because the presenter had to double check to make sure that she is indeed prime minister and not president..
..and ah wonder WHAT LIES and LIARS she left in Ghana to spread propaganda, since they left their yardfowls down there….. that is why i would never go near Africa with this gang of questionable black people.
Anyone is free to travel to Africa as an African descendant ya don’t need the parliament trash for anything.
@ David November 23, 2019 7:41 PM
Aren’t the Dutch having second thoughts about the matter?
Is Sacramental Cannabis the same as Medical Cannabis, the same as illegal cannabis? Are we assuming that people who will be legally using cannabis will not go on to skunk, heroin, cocaine or other forms of illegal substances?
Who will be the distributors of this legalised cannabis? Supermarkets? Rum shops? Hawkers? Will there be an age limit for users? Will it be 16 or 18? And if there are Rastas under the legal age will they be allowed to use Sacramental Cannabis? What about Medical Cannabis, will doctors be the only professionals allowed to prescribe this for patients? Will there be an age limit for medical use?
Have we looked at studies on the affects of cannabis on teenage brains? Has there been an economic and social impact study? If so, will this be made public BEFORE the legislation passes through parliament?
Are we assuming that if cannabis is legalised, for religious purposes or not, that organised drug dealers will not move in to Barbados in a big way? In the meantime, have magistrates’ courts been instructed not to convict people accused of cannabis or possession?
There are lots of questions still to be answered.
Obviously you have not read the Bills and Shedules.
(Quote):
Are we assuming that if cannabis is legalised, for religious purposes or not, that organised drug dealers will not move in to Barbados in a big way? In the meantime, have magistrates’ courts been instructed not to convict people accused of cannabis or possession? (Unquote).
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Aren’t there “organized drug dealers” already in Barbados even though the use of cannabis for religious purposes has not yet been fully sanctioned?
Didn’t organized whisky dealers aka bootleggers move into the mainstream business arena in the USA when the period of prohibition ended?
What ought to be more of a concern is the inordinately large number of black boys (and girls) in the socially and economically depressed areas of cities in the UK who are stabbing and killing one another over skunk and other synthetic drugs because of the current criminalized status of these substances traded underground at massively inflated prices.
Why can’t the “Native Son” come up with his own brand of proposals to tackle this massively destructive problem plaguing the black youth in the UK?
What factors will be taken into account when determining whether a person is “an adherent of the Rastafarian religion”? For example, there is an opinion that dreadlocks are not prerequisite for being a Rastafarian. See https://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/read/97615
@ Tony Trotman
The short bill leaves a lot of gaps. For the first time we will have a definition of a Rasta in law, if only by restricting the age at which a member of the temple can fully participate in the rituals of the religion.
The one that concerns me is the nonsense about a minor. In Barbados the age of majority is 18, the age of consent is 16 and (from memory) the age of criminal responsibility is 12. When we say a minor, which age applies.
In the Church of England, an 8 or 9 yr old who has been confirmed can take Holy Communion, but an under age Rasta cannot be a full member of his/her religion if part of that is the use of Sacramental Cannabis, I can go on.
Miller…the intent is to CONTINUE to criminalize black people, especially Rasta and the running slime in the parliament IS ALL FOR IT..it is best for black people and Rasta to stay the hell away from ALL OF them, kick them out of the parliament in 2023, and going forward.
..DO NOT GIVE ANY GOVERNMENT MORE THAN 5 YEARS to do their jobs…then kick their asses out too…i have been saying this for years, no one owes them anything, so there is no reason to keep any of them for more than 5 years..
https://www.facebook.com/fraites/videos/10157858170308060/?t=0
Here we go again.
Don’t worry, yardfowls will soon be EXTINCT..lol
and as for toxic sell out leaders…we leave you to the big countries, they know well enuff what to do with yall..cause they done know that yall victims WILL APPLAUD.
@ Hal Austin
Clause 2 of the Bill defines a religion as “the moral system of beliefs practised or followed by a person”. Hence, it appears that the appearance of “an adherent of the Rastafarian religion” is not relevant.
A person applying for a Sacramental Use Permit (SUP) does not have to be “an adherent of the Rastafarian religion”: Clause 4(1) of the Bill.
Question 9 on the application form for a SUP wrongly assumes that a place of worship must have – “at least 5 people (other than the applicant) who principal officers, people involved in administration or management of this place of worship”.
@ Tony Trotman
(3)A person who is an adherent of the Rastafarian religion shall in the enjoyment of his freedom of religion be permitted to use cannabis as a sacrament in an assembly of or in association with other Rastafarians in a place of worship in accordance with the provisions of this Act.(Quote)
4 (1)A person who is responsible for the administration or management of a place of worship may apply to the Minister for the grant of a sacramental use permit to allow persons of that religious body to use cannabis for sacramental purposes at that place of worship.(Quote)
Does section (3) validate section 4? Does this mean a group of five people or more, who describe themselves as a religion, could apply for a permit to use Sacramental Cannabis? Or is it poor drafting?
Is the use of Sacramental Cannabis a fundamental part of Rastafarian belief? If so, does the bar on ‘minors’ restrict the age at which someone could be a fully practising Rasta?
Does the Bill create a perverse opportunity for drug dealers? For example, if five or more people gather at a house of ‘worship’ and shar e Sacramental Cannabis, what is to prevent them from accepting money at a later (or previous) date? The place of ‘worship’ being cash free.
What does Hansard say?
@ Hal Austin
Question 9 on the SUP application form suggests that there must be a minimum number of 6 administrators and/or managers at the place of worship. The minimum number does not apply to the congregation. Clause 4(1) of the Bill does not say that the administrators or managers must be Rastafarians. Although, in practice, I suspect that they will be Rastafarians. It seems that the SUP application form is wrongly dictating the managerial or organisational structure at the place of worship.
The Bill accepts that the use of sacramental cannabis is a fundamental part of the Rastafarian belief. And the Government believes that an age restriction must apply to the use of cannabis. I understand that a similar restriction also applies to the use of other drugs, e.g. alcohol.
Clause 9(2) of the Bill provides that –
“A person who sells or uses the cannabis grown at a place of worship in a commercial venture or for any commercial purpose is guilty of an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $10 000 or to a term of imprisonment of 2 years or to both.”
Was the “collection plate” passed around the congregation for a commercial purpose? Or for the upkeep of the place of worship? Or for securing the cannabis at the place of worship?
@ Hal Austin
Oops … I forgot that the age restriction for alcohol does not apply to Holy Communion. So please ignore my previous statement about it.
@ Tony Trotman
Parents can lawfully allow a child aged five to take a sip of alcohol at home; from age 7 a child can take Holy Communion in the Church of England, part of the world-wide Anglican Church. If Sacramental Cannabis is central to the beliefs of Rastafarianism, then by imposing an age on its use is government in effect stipulating the age at which one can become a full Rastafarian. If so, is this fair?
Am I wrong?
@ Hal Austin
It’s a reflection of social attitudes towards both drugs. For example, it’s very unlikely that a sip of alcohol would be blamed for the bad behaviour of a child who takes Holy Communion. On the other hand, a puff of cannabis would quickly be blamed for the bad behaviour of a child takes sacramental cannabis.
@ Tony Trotman
@ Mr. Hal Austin
Both of you in your exchanges here have spoken quite ably to the points I was making about the poor drafting of the law with regard to venue.
In fact, your dialogue suggests that Douglas Trotman or any other Activist Lawyer WILL HAVE MANY INSTANCES UNDER WHICH HE, OR THEY CAN CONSTITUTIONALLY CHALLENGE THIS BOGUS LAW!
For example you Tony Thompson said and I quote
“…It seems that the SUP application form is wrongly dictating the managerial or organisational structure at the place of worship…”
Just suppose that, for the sake of ensuring compliance, group of persons appoint persons present rather assign them temporary organizational capacity as provided for under the SUP? and such organizational compliance is minuted? does that override the existing requirements of the SUP if push comes to shove?
By the way, the Office of the Attorney General and the Drafters of this Bill are getting free legal services here on BU
That free advice is of no help to them, they are still doing utter shite, violating Rasta rights and will lose…with their disrespectful selves.
“I know it galls some Rastafarians that they would have to apply for something but I still need to protect them from the harshness of our Drug Abuse Act. We are not asking for a list of your membership but we do ask that you give us information that allows us to establish at least that you are a group. So we say, in the form, give us at least five names of people who are also in your group.”
Dale Marshall – Attorney General
“but I still need to protect them from the harshness of our Drug Abuse Act.”
ya hear the crawling scum…why not REVISE the Drug Abuse Act…it will be easier.
Rasta will not allow this idiot to use them as any curiousity.
Why does government want a list of Rastafarians? Does it keep lists of Anglicans or Methodists or Pentecostals or members of fraternities?
Apart from so-called confirmation of the members of a Rasta temle, what will the lists be used for? Will the security services have access to the lists? Will foreign security services have access to the lists?
Will official membership of a Rasta temple deprive a member of opportunities or services? Will such membership be recorded on members’ passports or at ports of entry or on workplace records?
Is this the beginning of mass surveillance of Barbadians? Does this involve the Chinese or Americans?
Hopefully, the Data Protection Bill will ensure that the information on a completed SUP application form is not misused.The Bill is available at: https://www.barbadosparliament.com/uploads/bill_resolution/7b81b59260896178b5aa976fdb87bfee.pdf
25/11/19
This is a forward thinking government who know they work for the people, not the petty little nuisances that can be found in the Barbados parliament.
“Jamaica has unveiled plans to become a medical cannabis tourism hotspot by tapping into to its rich cultivation heritage and sunny climate.
Floyd Green, the Minister of State for Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, said the Caribbean nation already boasts a guaranteed formula for success.
“We can create more facilities where patients while being treated, experience the beauty of Jamaica with the most fitting climate, the best people, the best service and, of course, the best cannabis,” said Green. “That is our competitive advantage in the global space.”
Cannabis was first introduced to Jamaica in the 1850s. It was imported from iIndia during the British rule of both nations, and it flourished in the warm Caribbean climate.
Many people see Jamaica as the spiritual home of marijuana culture due to its strong Rastafarian community and its iconic strains. It was always a major cultivator of illicit marijuana, but it decriminalized cannabis in 2015.
Jamaicans can now cultivate up to five plants at home, and possession of up to 2 ounces is now considered a petty offence, with the Rastafari can use cannabis for religious purposes.”
UPSIDE:
the time they spent drafting shite to violate Rasta’s rights, they missed the whole damn ship…lol and are now well stuck.
@ All the People and the sheeple
TEETS said and I quote
“…We are not asking for a list of your membership but we do ask that you give us information that allows us to establish at least that you are a group.
So we say, in the form, give us at least five names of people who are also in your group…”
Mr. Hal Austin HAS MADE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE COMPULSORY LISTING OF NAMES AND THE POLICE STATE
And Piece the Legend will explain the rest to the sheeple and the people
Since de ole man recognises dat ALL OF THE SHEEPLE and many of the people DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE REQUIREMENT FOR TEETS TO KNOW 5 MEMBERS de ole man has supplied the short I2 Analyst video above.
From watching this video wunna will see how the Attorney General will take ALL THE INFORMATION SUPPLIED AND THEN IMPORTING IT ILLEGALLY INTO THE SOFTWARE DEM HAVE
visualize all wunna individual extensive data on each body phone call to aid in their illegal criminal investigation on EVERYONE IN THE RASTA COMMUNITY.
This data will also be used by other branches of government SPECIFICALLY BY THE BARBADOS LABOUR PARTY and Me Love You Jong Time as this despotic government escalated its anti-citizen, stalinistic intelligence gatheringoffensive against ALL BAJANS, especially the dissenting population.
De ole man hope dat I help clarify dis shy$e for wunna
VOTE OUT MUGABE IN 2021!
@David
So, the Atty General is hankering for another title – “Protector of Rastafarians”, what’s next a Rasta ID card? The Gov’t is twisting itself into knots trying to craft laws that deny privileges to a majority of the population while bestowing them on others under the guise of religious rights. The Gov’ts position is absurd, it is asinine and will lead to more incarceration of young people.
If Bajans thought they elected a progressive Gov’t in 2018, I say “Welcome to the 60’s”, 1960’s
“VOTE OUT MUGABE IN 2021!”
Done..
THEY GOTTA GO, THEY GOTTA GO, THEY GOTTA GO..
this vicious LIAR used a DEAD RASTA CHILD killed by her partner in crimes and ILLEGAL ACTIONS against BLACK BAJANS, she used this child’s death and his mother to be ELECTED…..then, once elected she promptly threw this victim of Maloney and his mother to the wolves…EVIL..
https://www.facebook.com/jackie.stewart.965/videos/1177059045836966/?t=96
Weak Rastamen are easily identified, Adonijah, since he was right there on Mia’s side show in Ghana should be telling us whose bones were dragged across the Continent from Barbados…ah will bet my last buck that he does not know.
Weak Rasta are of no use to the group.
Like any other organisation – the managerial or administrative roles at the place of worship must be determined by its manager/s – and not the SUP application form. If a job analysis at the place of worship shows that it only needs a manager and an administrator – does it mean that it cannot apply for a SUP? Or it should falsely complete the SUP application form?
There is no good or proper reason why SUP application form asks for 6 administrators and/or managers at the place of worship. The form should only ask for 1 or 2 managers.
All them marched wid Mia
Wuh sweeten goat mout will bun de belly later
Let the Rasta suck up some of the deceit from govt like the rest of society
Not feeling sorry fuh them
For the UNEDUCATED. .and we all know why Barbados’ population bore the brunt of that miseducation and LACK of knowledge…..
But…THESE THINGS HAVE CONSEQUENCES.
“Ever thought that returning soil in which our ancestors were buried might give peace to their spirits, producing a positive effect?
The Ghanians treated it joyfully and with respect.
The site, Two Rivers, is where slaves received their last bath before being herded on board the ships to start the horrific Middle Passage.
This ent Hollywood. This is real African spirituality! Blessed love. I was there to see it and dance with my brothers.”
@ Sargeant November 25, 2019 11:50 PM
“So, the Atty General is hankering for another title – “Protector of Rastafarians”, what’s next a Rasta ID card? The Gov’t is twisting itself into knots trying to craft laws that deny privileges to a majority of the population while bestowing them on others under the guise of religious rights. The Gov’ts position is absurd, it is asinine and will lead to more incarceration of young people.
If Bajans thought they elected a progressive Gov’t in 2018, I say “Welcome to the 60’s”, 1960’s”
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Convincingly well argued, Sarge!
You have missed your true calling of a Human Rights legal beagle.
These different pieces of legislation to control the uses of marijuana and to decide who profits from it, is obviously so Unconstitutional it leaves you to wonder what kind of two-bit lawyers sitting in Parliament the UWI has produced.
Jeff C. must be spitting in the air to see what his former charges are doing to his ‘.expected’ work of ‘legalese’ art.
Why is this administration trying to placate a ‘special interest’ group to secure electoral favours by violating the rights of the majority of the citizens?
Why not spend the resources- needed to ‘police’ the special rules and devices to permit the Rastafarian to partake in an activity which is not available to the rest of society- on uplifting and protecting the rights of the more vulnerable and disadvantaged in society?
Why not use the already scarce resources on preventing the widespread abuse of children, on improving the lot of the disabled and those who are discriminated against because of their sexual orientation which, like the religious practices of the Rasta community, does not fall into the Bajan ‘norm’ of mainstream church-determined sexual orthodoxy even though 70 % of Bajan babies are born out of legal wedlock?
Big problem with that cockup, she is STILL VIOLATING THE RIGHTS OF RASTAS…it seem that they cannot get pass the violations of human rights…everything they touch as it pertains to the Black population, violates theirs rights.
It’s like they cannot help themselves and that is NOT ACCEPTABLE..
they cannot stay.
@Miller
What is the size of the Rasta population in Barbados?
@ WURA-WAR-on-U November 26, 2019 7:22 AM
It’s a pity to see how the Rastafarian community is allowing itself to be manipulated and used by the current cowardly administration just because of the spineless politicians who want to protect the lucrative revenue flows to the legal fraternity which could quickly dry up if the marijuana trade is decriminalized.
Is this the same Rasta community whose members (mainly from the lower rungs of the socio-economic Bajan ladder), only two years ago, were treated by the same political class like a community of social lepers and economic pariahs and were held responsible for the vast amount of praedial larceny in Barbados?
Would the government be accommodating also the use of marijuana by the Hindu community in the form of BHANG as they celebrate their Spring festival of Holi similar to what Christians called Easter?
Why not just decriminalize the entire use of the blasted plant and stop turning the innocent plant into a martyr and a matter inviting the ruling of a King Solomon as was required in the eponymous case of the two women making claims over an innocent baby?
Do Bajans who smoke imported cigarettes and get drunk from expensive alcoholic beverages have to go through all this parliamentary palaver and rigmarole in the circus for political clowns?
Miller…even in the Rasta Community you will find the mentally weak, but splintering the community just to get a ticket to Africa to bury who knows what, is a little lower than low crawling.
They cannot see they are being SET UP with the carrot and stick approach….,dangle Africa in the faces of the MOST WEAK…..then continue with the 20 year old promise of 60 acres…then keep reducing the acreage cause they might get the land to lease but no money to start the project….THE STICK….
A set up….and the MOST weak are too blind, dumb and miseducated to see and talking shite but they were in Africa dancing.
But it suits them, they wear it well…especially the part where the government continues to shoot itself in the foot waiting in vain for the intelligent to prostrate themselves before them.
Dont for one minute think that the Barbados government did not know from as far back as 2014 what Caricom had proposed, 5 years ago, but violating their people’s rights were more important than adopting what Caricom proposed, now they will have people beleive they had no choice…SET UP.
the violations of human rights must continue to be exposed.
“One thing I am very happy about…and again, as I said on my Facebook, I hope it is not a political football because the process started in 2013 when the commission was formed and all government including ours agreed to form a commission.”
The commission was established by the decision of the 25th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government in March 2014 in St Vincent and the Grenadines with a mandate to conduct a rigorous enquiry into the social, economic, health and legal issues surrounding marijuana use in the Caribbean; and to determine whether there should be a change in the current drug classification of marijuana thereby making the drug more accessible for all types of usage (religious, recreational, medical and research).”
Miller…see how EVIL these pig negros in the parliament are…. they had 5 LONG YEARS to do the necessary research etc on marijuana, now here they are pretending that they are only now starting….were i the Rasta with mental strength and intelligence…not the weak willed cowardly ones, soon to be turned into fowls, pimps and imps…i would not give this government the time of day.
But it gets worse, just watched a clip from Al Jazeera News, investigations have shown that Caribbean joke leaders sell diplomatic passports to the highest bidders, yep, the wealthiest of crooks, former Dominca PM Oliver Serraphin got caught and recorded brokering a deal on camera and Skerritt is right in the middle of this mess due to elections soon…
https://youtu.be/m1Yba1-ijh4?t=8
their corruption is ugly and just look how they all treat the people once elected…who knows what the others are selling, the people have to watch their backs.
“Politicians implicated in diplomatic-passports-for-millions scheme in Dominica – threat to CIP says developer. The saga began when Lennox Linton, head of the island’s parliamentary opposition, the United Workers Party, appeared on an episode of CBS’ 60 Minutes in January. Linton implied that Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit had been involved in the granting of diplomatic passports to criminals sought by INTERPOL.”
Miller…ya hear the Caribbean house negros, both current and former, from parliament chant…
“WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME”…lol…or the Bajan version..”WHERE IS MY CUT???”
they are famous, NOTORIOUS, none of them have EVER LEARNED NEW WORDS since the 1950s……they ALL need to UPDATE THEIR VOCABULARY.
After two years of planning, the medicinal cannabis industry has officially achieved lift-off.
The Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Licensing Authority (BMCLA) is reporting that it has received its first 15 applications just this week.
he disclosure was made yesterday by chief executive officer of the BMCLA, Dr Shantal Munro-Knight, during a virtual press conference via Zoom. She noted that the number would likely have been much higher, had it not been for setbacks resulting from the second wave of COVID-19. She also revealed while there had been overseas interest, the very first application for cultivation was from a Barbadian.
The first of the applications has come just a year after the organisation was established under Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Industry Act, 2019.
“Starting from Monday when we opened for applications up to this morning, we have approximately 15 applications in draft and one application fully submitted. We are very happy that the very first application fully submitted is for a Tier 1 cultivation licence (up to an acre) and also an import licence, and that person is local. What for us is really good is that it pushes back on the notion that small players will not be able to get into the industry because of the number of challenges,” said Munro-Knight.
The BMCLA head said the start of application process augured well for the trajectory of the sector, as already six of the eight categories of licences had received applications
https://www.nationnews.com/2021/01/22/cannabis-industry-gets-started-despite-setbacks/
Let us see where this ends up Hants.
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