The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune

Florida and the majority of US states are on the move and rapidly are developing their strategic positions in the global Cannabis industry. A number of other nations across the globe are doing the same.

Meanwhile, The Bahamas appears stuck on mere investigation of whether Cannabis is a “good fit” for our nation.

Only dysfunctional thinking would ignore proven and published scientific evidence stating clearly that the myriad of benefits that Cannabis offers (in multiple industrial sectors) far exceed any misconceived downsides.

With that said, creating a viable and profitable Cannabis sector within the Bahamian economy should take top priority at this time for several reasons:

• The Bahamas is hurting financially from the recent Hurricane Dorian devastation and needs a much-needed injection of cash from the profitable Cannabis industry.

• The Bahamas has one of the highest cancer and obesity rates in the world per capita. Our people need healthy wheat alternatives like Hemp. To boot, research results prove conclusively that Cannabis is a cancer killer!

• The Bahamas needs new industrial opportunities in the areas of food, clothing, construction, medicine, and energy. With such a lagging economy, employment opportunities are needed en masse.

All of the aforementioned challenges can be addressed and resolved by a robust and open Cannabis market, but it appears that this nation has not learned its lesson from relying primarily on Tourism. This nation seems to be happily settled on being a consumer society, rather than allowing our citizens to be farmers, producers, distributors, and innovators in one of the greatest emerging global markets humankind has ever known.

Cannabis is a resource that is so versatile in its usage that the only reason why anyone would speak against it would be ignorance or reliance upon the crumbling economic status quo.

Not knowing is one thing. Believing the lies and misinformation spewed publicly about Cannabis over past decades is another. Even more sinister is blatantly refusing to research the benefits of the Cannabis genus for oneself and finding out why Cannabis’ economic, social, medicinal, and industrial benefits were suppressed from public view.

Thankfully, the minds of global citizens are changing due to new found knowledge and awareness. With reliable and pertinent information literally at one’s fingertips, there is no reason that any rational-minded person should reject Cannabis decriminalisation and legalisation.

It is time for The Bahamas to make a decision NOW or be relegated to the outer perimeters of the global Cannabis industry, desperately looking for opportunities to benefit.

The citizens of The Bahamas should be empowered to thrive in this new global economic shift, instead of losing freedoms and being persecuted daily due to antiquated and invalid views of and laws relating to a mere Plant.

Cannabis can give this developing nation a much-needed boost overall in multiple sectors.

Decriminalise and Legalise. The time is now.

YORICK BROWN

Nassau

November 5, 2019