And apart from being the police minister, Musa is also the Minister of New Growth Industries. But if you're wondering what that ministry has done over the last four years, you're not alone. The most concrete move was the Marijuana legalization bill, which is currently on what appears to be an indefinite stall. The media asked Musa if there was any update.
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"There's no update on it. But I know that 2025 is an election year, and it is my hope, as minister that we be able to get that on the ballot."
Courtney Menzies:
"But with the legalization bill stalled as it was this entire time, do you feel like anything meaningful was accomplished over the last 4 or 5 years?"
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"Definitely. Because I feel that it opened up an appetite for innovation within the private sector, looking at new industries that may not be your traditional industries, like, aquaculture or sugar and citrus and bananas. I see that it definitely opened up a whole realm of possibilities. It does require, however, that we amend a lot of legislation to assist industries like the cohune industry moving forward. And so I think that, while it is that the main focus of creating the new industries was to see how we can introduce cannabis as one of those industries, I think there are so many other great ideas that have come forward and hopefully, even the orange economy, the film industry, music industry, these can be put as priorities in the next administration."
Courtney Menzies:
"Would you see that in the next term, if you guys win, we'll see more concrete things coming out of the ministry?"
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"Absolutely, absolutely. And I'm confident that if the cannabis were to be placed on the referendum, whether we as Belizeans want to see a regulated industry that is governed by legislation, that is tax that is not part of this illegal black market that has cost us so many lives. I think that we want to make it make sense because cannabis has been decriminalized. So you can have ten grams on you. You have no way of getting it. And that is why there is this illegal dark market which is costing so many Belizean lives. And so if you look at all the benefits moving forward of having that industry, I think Belizeans will realize that and it is a multi-billion dollar industry. And so I think we can make it make sense, by voting yes in the referendum."
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