The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

A RASTAFARIAN leader has expressed his disappointment in the delay of the much-promised Marijuana Bill being tabled in Parliament.

Rithmond McKinney, High Priest of the local Rastafarian Bobo Shanti Tribe believes the delay involves the “elites” of society.

For years, Rastafarians have fought for their rights to legally use marijuana as a part of their religious sacrament. Instead of having the right to smoke the known oplant, they say they are ostracised and arrested for carrying small amounts of the illegal drug.

High Priest McKinney said the bill is very important to his community.

“It is important to me and the Bahamian populous, in general, because so many of our young men are going through the court for small amounts of marijuana,” he said.

“From what everybody is saying, the delay is basically from the elites getting themselves together and putting themselves in the right position. Then when the legislation is finally passed, lovers, friends and family will be in the right position to benefit from it. That is my personal take on it.

“We know that during COVID and other situations might make it a little more difficult for the government to get together and make decisions. Last year when he (the Prime Minister) said he was going to table the Bill, he took four recommendations from the Marijuana Commission which was set up by the government to give the government the opinion of the wider public.”

The Rastafarian High Priest told The Tribune that he is hopeful the Bill will be tabled soon, but also pointed out that he felt Rastafarians should not only have the right to use marijuana for their sacrament, but they should also have a seat at the table where the proposed industry is concerned.

“The Prime Minister took the four recommendations which was the medical, the sacrament of the Rastafarian, the expunging of records and releasing people from prison who were locked up for small amounts,” he said. “When the Prime Minister was on a trip to Abaco he declared that it’s only medical marijuana he would concentrate on in the Bill. So far we have not heard anything else about the sacramental rights that he said he would table.

“We believe that when the House (of Assembly) opens in September that would be one of the first things on their agenda. We hope that it passes for the medical aspect. The people of The Bahamas needs to benefit from the medical cannabis part of it. At the same time the Rastaman is hoping that we get our sacramental rights also.

“It is imperative that we do. We’ve been marginalized and disenfranchised for a very long time and now that the government is saying that this is something good and it is for medical use how come now you leaving the Rastamen out of their sacramental rights. Naturally the Rastamen want to be a part of the industry going forward different from their sacramental rights. We feel as though we should be a part of it.”

High Priest McKinney said the Prime Minister recently told Bahamians to be their brothers’ keeper so he should look out for his Rastafarian brothers.

In May, Attorney General Carl Bethel told journalists the government has been diligently working on the marijuana legislation and once approved by Cabinet, a Bill will be introduced to Parliament before the end of the Budget year. That did not happen.

Last year, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis promised to have the Bill brought to Parliament by January of this year. Many Bahamians interested in being a part of the industry were disappointed by the delay along with the Rastafarian community who would like the mentioned freedoms from this Bill.