The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

MEMBERS of the Rastafarian community are cautiously optimistic about Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ promise that the government will start expunging the records of people convicted for the possession of small amounts of marijuana next year.

“The Prime Minister said... he will start dealing with the process of drafting bills for the legalisation of marijuana through the Attorney General’s Office,” Priest Rithmond McKinney, royal ambassador for the Ethiopian African Black International Congress, said. “So, we humbly await until next (year).”

Asked if he is confident the Prime Minister will start the process early next year – allowing Rastafarians to enjoy their sacraments without question – he seemed cautious.

“According to his record, he once said he would not put any tax on the people and we saw (value added) tax move to 12 percent when it was 7.5 percent,” Priest McKinney said. “He said he would have repealed it, but he added on to it. So, I hope he is a man to his word. A next example, in my mind, is concerning Renward Wells. When Wells was with the PLP, he said Wells should be fired.

“He said Wells should not be a part of government administration, but yet today he is a big Cabinet minister in an FNM government. So, we have to see because a promise is a comfort to a fool and right now the Bahamian people are tired of being promised. Time will bring up all things.”

He was adamant that Rastafarians should be a part of the marijuana industry when made legal, as they have suffered the most because of the popular herb.

“Of course, the Rastaman needs this industrial thing with cannabis more than any organisation in the country,” he continued. “We being marginalised, oppressed, victimised, profiled and incarcerated for who we are, we feel as though we should be a part of the industry going forward, so we can have sacramental rights.

“We wait and see and in the meantime, we are still agitating and lobbying for our rights.”

In October, the Economic Recovery Committee (ERC) recommended that up to two ounces of marijuana be made legal for personal use. This came as Dr Minnis announced that criminal records for those convicted of having small amounts of the substance will be expunged starting next year.

The Minnis administration has not revealed what will constitute having a “small amount” of the drug, but the ERC, in a plan released in October, has recommended that “unapproved possession of any amount greater” than two ounces be punishable with a fine only. The Bahamas National Commission on Marijuana recommended earlier this year that possession of up to one ounce of the substance be decriminalised for people over 21.

Members of the Rastafarian community spoke to The Tribune last week as they celebrated International Human Rights Day.

Priest McKinney said: “We celebrate this day every year through the Ethiopia Black International Congress. Our father, Prince Emmanuel, who established this Congress in 1958 and from 1957 he was agitating as a human rights champion. So, we hail him as our human rights champion and it is he who really made this day a celebration day amongst us.”

He said Rastafarians are still agitating for their rights, as they are still being locked up for small amounts of cannabis, which is their sacramental right. He said their dreadlocks are still being cut when they are incarcerated, which he said does not happen in America or Jamaica.

“We not only want it for the Rastaman,” he said. “We want equal rights and justice for all people. Black people, in general, are being victimised; from slavery to now. Because we are dealing with the COVID pandemic it’s a bit different, but there was a time when we marched on Bay Street on Human Rights Day. We marched against oppression and violation of human rights.”

For his part, Priest Marcus Nyabinghi simply wants an apology from the government for all the oppression and disrespect shown towards Rastafarians.

“We are a religious movement,” Priest Marcus said. “They respect us as a religious entity, but they do not respect... Rastamen. We are still oppressed because we wear locks. We are still oppressed because we smoke our sacrament. We have to agitate for equal rights for us all.

“The Prime Minister said he will decriminalise marijuana, but we also want an apology for the years of the oppression from society against I and I.”