Speech on Marijuana Legalization in Island - Barbados

Good Morning/Afternoon respected teachers, classmates and friends. My name is Umair Patel, and I stand before you today, along with my fellow classmates Ronald Nurse and Remar Bynoe, to inform you of not one but many advantages the legalization of Marijuana can have on the economy of our little island- Barbados.

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, Marijuana is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried flowers of Cannabis sativa. Here in Barbados, medical use of marijuana was legalized in November 2019 through the Medical Cannabis Industry Act. Despite being in high demand and actively consumed, marijuana still remains illegal for recreational use. Last year, on Saturday, September 18th, the Royal Barbados Police Force incinerated over 11,000 marijuana trees at the Portvale Sugar Factory in St.James.

The pandemic has worsened the economy’s state, tourist arrivals were stalled; government expenditures were greatly increased; people lost their jobs and incomes were slashed. What better time to take hold of the growing marijuana industry? Together, we can seek a crafted approach to the legalization of marijuana to enhance economic prosperity here in Barbados.

What’s the industry that employs the majority of the island’s workers? The tourism industry. If the question “What’s the main source of revenue in Barbados?” was asked to any Barbadian citizen, indisputably, their reply would be tourism. Marijuana is a viable prospect to regenerate and add to the island’s tourism. Barbados can capitalize on the growing and widespread acceptance of marijuana use and actively promote marijuana as an attraction alongside the sun, sea, and sand. We can become a welcoming landscape for tourists who associate Caribbean vacations with the opportunity to enjoy the citrusy and pine smell of marijuana.

Travel agencies could sell more packages; passengers for local ZR’s and taxis would increase, hotels would enjoy bookings and restaurants and pubs could have more diners. It brings with it the new opportunity to hold festivals and tours of fields where visitors can learn about the plant. The Crop Over Festival continues to reap significant dividends for Barbados based on visitor arrivals and revenue generation. Imagine the revenue a marijuana-centric festival could bring to the island.

Legalization of marijuana reduces the burden on the police and justice system. If legalized, the number of crimes would drop. The absence of offenders will reduce the expenditure of money in terms of law enforcement costs, prison maintenance costs, and the cost of rehabilitating prisoners.

How many of us here have taken a trip to the countryside to see unused land after land of overgrown wild trees and bushes? We can put the feral land of rural areas to use by setting up a model for local marijuana cultivation and distribution. This idea would not only create jobs, but set the ball rolling for economic activity. Workers would be needed to farm, process, distribute, and sell marijuana-based products. This leads to higher employment rates, a decline in the use of worker compensation systems, and a growth in productivity as fewer employees who already have jobs will need to miss work for required court appearances, and past offenders will be able to participate in the job market. In Barbados, the average persistent farmer is between the ages of 50-60. This is an opportunity to get young adults who already show enthusiasm towards marijuana to work in the agricultural sector.

Marijuana has little waste; seeds can be used to feed chickens and stems can be used as straw. Marijuana doesn’t go bad in storage, unlike root crops and vegetables, so farmers can reap with minimal loss. Barbados also provides ideal weather for marijuana growing and our tropical climate reduces weather costs and greenhouse bills.

Further, there would be ample opportunities for secondary industries, one example being construction companies and real estate agencies, as there would be a new demand for warehouses and stores to be erected and more units being sold out or leased for cultivation.

Legal marijuana presents the possibility of tremendous benefits to economies on a local and national scale. It could help secure the investment portfolios of investors across the globe. We have a barrier raised for investors when they see an opportunity for marijuana here in Barbados. They are cautious about investing, as they do not want to go against legal laws. Should growth rates for the marijuana space continue as they have in recent years, it's likely that investors would express a keen interest in our island with its legalization.

As its production, unless licensed to do so and consumption are illegal, marijuana escapes the tax net. If a uniform rate is applied, the government can generate more tax revenues from a legalized and regulated industry.

Although The Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Act, 2019 was created to help develop the medicinal cannabis industry as an economic engine, contributing directly and indirectly to 20% of the National Gross Domestic Product, application fees associated with the acquisition of the licenses can be costly. Fees range from $1,980 up to $5,940. Combined with the costs of facilities, security and other stipulations needed to obtain such a license, this feat could be very expensive. For any person to be granted a license, he or she must directly own 30% of a company, partnership or cooperative society. We can see that such a venture would be made harder for the average person to embark upon.  

Studies conducted by local police in countries such as the United States of America, the Netherlands and Canada have shown that violent crimes have neither soared nor plummeted with their decriminalization of marijuana. Coupled with the legalization of marijuana, if the government adopts legal reforms and policies to regulate social consumption to ensure marijuana is legalized and regulated similarly to alcohol and the cigar industry and hosts educational campaigns, we can enjoy the benefits marijuana has to offer worry-free.

Instead of wasting law enforcement resources, precious time and money trying to stop it when it’s impossible to, we can use its legalization to make a positive impact on our island’s tax revenues, have fewer marijuana-related arrests and court cases and by extension, create more job opportunities for the citizens of Barbados. Marijuana usage can be seen all around us and by keeping it illegal, hasn’t stopped anyone from using, cultivating or selling it.

We must develop standards and laws, provide information and training to regulate marijuana in the best possible way to help our community. The government of Barbados is liable to reap significant economic benefits as a result of marijuana legalization, as we have the means to foster new businesses, job creation and tourism opportunities. As more parts of the world have begun to legalize the use of marijuana both medically and recreationally, the question we should be asking is how can Barbados take advantage?