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Pablo, Caruso And Cannabis
posted (October 30, 2018)
PUP Leader John Briceno put the legalization of marijuana on the frontline of public discourse, and the ruling UDP has shot back with widespread condemnation. Last week, Health Minister Pablo Marin held the party line when he said that the Opposition Leader's proposal wasn't properly thought through:...

FILE: October 24, 2018
Hon. Pablo Marin, Minister of Health
"You can't just jump and say legalize marijuana, let's start to sell marijuana to different countries. How are going to provide the way forward on selling it? Who will plant it? Where will you put that money? How will you be able to work along? And you the US is always watching everything that we are doing so we have to be very cautious on what we do."

But, by all appearances, the Minister wasn't being cautious back in February of 2016 when he wrote a letter of support for an investor who wanted to start a cannabis farm. The letter says, quote, "our meeting…considered the establishment of a cannabis farm for growing, extracting and developing cannabis for medical applications….the principal objective would be to develop and export products demonstrating the well documented medicinal properties of the cannabis plant." End quote.

The investor in that case was Zev Ben Yousef - and the letter was written at a time pre-dating any limited legalization of marijuana.

And, then, in October of 2017, Marin wrote again, this time supporting the proposed commercial production of hemp for South Stann creek. The Investor in this case was the well-known Marco Caruso from Placencia.

We called Minister Marin to ask about these letters - and though he is on paternity leave - he granted us a phone interview - saying there was nothing out of the ordinary about these letters, and, that as Minister of Health, he was just supporting investment:..

Hon. Pablo Marin, Minister of Health
"We in the Ministry of Health know that medicinal marijuana is out there, it's very essential. What the letter is for people to bring proposals. This does not give them the authority that we are going to open the field and sell marijuana. Our sole purpose was for us to look at how we can help the people with those sickness and also for us to bring industries in the country. But first of all as the last portion of the letter states we wanted to see a proposal. That was on 2016. That proposal never arrived at our desk and how this particular company did not come back again, well we just disregard the meeting that we had with them."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"You were kinda going out on a limb, because at that time it was not legal to grow marijuana in Belize, but you seem to kinda be going out in a limb to make an agreement, in principle, supporting a concept in principle - something that in principle was unlawful."

Hon. Pablo Marin, Minister of Health
"No, yes, its unlawful to do medicinal marijuana in the country, but I think in still in the ministry for us to look at all avenues to see what we can do and I don't think there is nothing wrong for us to ask for a proposal. There is nothing on that letter that states that we want for them to legalize marijuana. I still remain with the same view that we shouldn't legalize marijuana."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Okay, and then if we can move on to your letter of Marco Caruso, developer in Placencia. Explain to me if you can what is the background for this."

Hon. Pablo Marin, Minister of Health
"That was on October 14, 2017. Legislation was being passed at that time that hemp is okay to be grown in the country. You can do medicinal oil, you can do rope, you can do clothing and different things and for me again it's a good industry. An industry that can expand in the country and I don't see anything wrong and in the letter that I signed at the bottom of it that they have to provide by the laws and regulations by the government of Belize. So I still don't see anything wrong for me to give a letter for them to bring some proposals and to invest in the country."

"In the case of Marco Caruso, he is very well known in Belize. He is not perhaps what you might called a blue chip investor, because he has a number of projects which are in a state of limbo, to be kind. Explain to me your dealings with Mr. Caruso? Did you consider him a legitimate, bonafide investor with startup money?"

Hon. Pablo Marin, Minister of Health
"Any person can come to my office. It doesn't matter of its Marco or the other company that came. The first company, I not even have heard of them before and they came to me and I didn't see anything wrong because we are looking at invest."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"But when you got married, you got married in Placencia. I believe from what I am told, I wasn't invited, but I'm told you got married at a resort owned by Mr. Marco Caruso."

Hon. Pablo Marin, Minister of Health
"We wanted to have something in country, something in the beach area and in Placencia the beach is fabulous, big enough and we decide to do it there. I don't think there is nothing wrong on deciding to do that."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"At the same time we see that a letter of support has been signed for the same individual who owned the resort. I just have to ask is it a letter of support?"

Hon. Pablo Marin, Minister of Health
"I think you know that they were planning to do an airport in that area. He already approached also for medical tourism with another group of investors. I don't have any problem like I mentioned to sit down with different groups and chat to see what best we can do the country and bring investment."

So while Health Minister Marin says it was all about encouraging investment - we asked him if he reported the expressions of interest to Cabinet:...

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Had the cabi9net been informed that you had reached conversations with these developers/investors?"

Hon. Pablo Marin, Minister of Health
"No I haven't approached cabinet colleagues, because I am still awaiting for the proposals to arrive. Once the proposals arrived then I bring it to cabinet. How are you going to take something that is only on the table and not even materialized in a proposal state?"

And there's one more thing we asked about. His February 2016 letter notes that in his meeting with investor Zev Ben Yousef - he was accompanied by Dr. Peter Allen - who had ceased being his CEO in November of 2015. We asked Marin why:...

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Why was the former CEO involved in that meeting?"

Hon. Pablo Marin, Minister of Health
"Because this meeting was held before that and we didn't put CEO Figueroa, because he was not on the meeting even though I signed the letter on the 2016. So the meeting was done before that and when they came for the letter, I agree to sign the letter with the consent also from CEO Peter Allen that is now at Public Service, just to us to confirm that yes we had this meeting."

The letter says the meeting was held on February 5, 2016.

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