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Cabinet Called His Weed Plan simplistic, Briceno Calls Cabinet Retrograde
posted (October 24, 2018)
Last night you heard the executive slapdown that Cabinet put on the PUP Leader John Briceno for floating the idea that marijuana should be fully legalized, farmed, taxed and exported.

A Cabinet release called it simplistic, ignorant and downright dangerous.

Today Briceno said they're simply resisting an idea whose time has come:..

Reporter
"You have seen the government's scolding, or slap down it might be called. What is your response to what the government said?"

Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition
"its almost like comedy relief. Listening to the government and their response to an idea that I have floated in my weekly message. There are so many pressing issues in front of the cabinet that they could be addressing, instead of trying to belittle to make fun of an idea which it is a good one. It's an idea whose time has come. When they wanted our support for the decriminalized marijuana, I got up in the House and I said we supported it - all of us supported it and I said we even need to go further than decriminalization. Let's sit down and study the entire issue of marijuana and whether we should legalize it or not. So I have already gone on record and when you look at their press release, Its so filled of inaccuracies and lies. They are pretty much lying. They talking that I am talking to completely legalize the drug trade in our country. Nobody spoke about legalizing no drug trade. Then that the sudden position adopted by the People's United Party via the leader. As I've said I've been on record since the House meeting to decriminalize marijuana. They talk about exporting marijuana to the US. I never mentioned that. I talk about Canada, Europe and South America. Not once did I mentioned the United States. Jamaica is looking forward is being a major leader in medical marijuana and here a government is dismissing an idea whose time has come. I am most disappointed and the little respect that I have is quickly eroding for this government."

Reporter
"How would you answer to the criticism that in deed whilst you did enunciated it in the House, that your embrace of this issue is really just doing the same thing that probably the government was doing when they pass the legislation, trying to play up to a certain section of the electorate?"

Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition
"Absolutely not. We have an economy that's on its knees. Sugar, banana, citrus, shrimp - all our major exports are in trouble. We need to look for different products. We need to look where we have comparative advantages."

Today, the National Evangelical Association of Belize sent out a statement saying it, quote, "notes with greatest alarm the misguided comments of the Leader of the Opposition…in calling for a legal marijuana industry in Belize. His position clearly confirms our statement at the decriminalization of marijuana a year ago - that this is merely an incremental step towards full marijuana legalization where some Government and business leaders seek to profiteer from weed.

As our nation was shocked with a horrendous EMO, weed-induced ritual murder in the West, and the rape/violation of a 5 year old child left traumatized and bleeding, we are appalled that the Leader of the Opposition would neglect to address such moral atrocities, and instead focus on solving our economic problems with a marijuana industry!" End quote.

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