PLP Throne Speech Reply: Cannabis Reform
Removing penalties for simple possession of small amounts, introducing a medical marijuana regime, regulating the sale and use of marijuana and creating a system for the government to get their share of the multi-million dollar profits are some of the options for cannabis reform included in the PLP’s Reply to the Throne Speech.
The topic was also touched on during last week’s Throne Speech, with the Government announcing they would produce a public consultation paper on the decriminalization of marijuana.
The relevant portion of the Throne Speech [PDF] said, “In this Session, the Government will produce a public consultation paper on the decriminalization of marijuana and an examination of its wider uses.
“This will inform the community of the competing research on this drug, its uses and the potential impact any shift in policy might have on the Island. The people’s representatives must lead a sensible, mature public discussion on this issue.”
The relevant portion of the PLP’s Reply to the Throne Speech [PDF] is below:
A shift in the way we address cannabis use and abuse within our community must occur. Bermuda continues to criminalize people for what is essentially a health issue.
This criminalizing of Bermudians has its greatest impact not on the street dealers and drug kingpins, but on those who find themselves behind bars, on the stop list, and reputations ruined for minor amounts of cannabis.
Bermuda’s current drug policies exacerbate lawlessness, criminalize non-violent offenders, and increase the cost of enforcement. It makes no sense to continue on this path.
Many people who do not use, or condone cannabis use, accept that it is not necessary to punish citizens financially or deprive them of their liberty, especially in these economic times, when the burden of all Government expenses is being stretched to our maximum capacity.
It costs in excess of $80,000.00 to house inmates in our correctional facilities, and the expense to the Government could be curtailed significantly by de-penalizing simple possession of cannabis as a first step.
Many people who do not use, or condone cannabis, accept that where an argument exists that cannabis may be useful for the treatment of disease, or alleviating pain attributed to medical complications, a doctor and not politicians, should be the most prudent to determine usage, and therefore be legally permitted to prescribe cannabis to citizens as they deem fit.
The police would have additional time and resources to focus on more serious crime if the number of case files, witness statements and court attendance no longer transpired as it relates to arrests pertaining to cannabis.
The PLP proposes Cannabis Reform that can address the various options available, inclusive of
- Removal of penalties for simple possession of small amounts.
- Introducing a Medical marijuana regime to address some of the debilitating effects of various diseases plaguing our people.
- Regulating the sale and use of marijuana and ending the unnecessary criminalization of our people.
- Creating a system for the government to get their share of the multi-million dollar profits generated by legalized marijuana sales, creating a new revenue stream to meet our responsibilities to our people and pay off the debt.
Bernews, is this the most important/salient point made in the Reply to the Throne Speech – Cannibas Reform?
Yes, by far the most important. Time to give people people access to the medicine they need and to stop making criminals out of non violent productive members of society.
throws handbag…DUCK LV.
Of course this is the most important point because it sets out the PLP’s true vision for Bermuda. They want to create a new revenue stream for Bermuda by being the first true narco-state with the government directly involved in the sale of illegal drugs.
Here Laverne… educate, so that you can qualify for this debate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4xejnsLwKE
I’d really love to know what YOU, who Disliked, this Educational Moment,found it to be,so worthy of a Dislike..?
Don’t read anyone saying its the most imprtant and salient but you Laverne. You want weed to be legal? Would calm ya down some.
Yes LaVerne. It is the most important thing for the PLP because it significantly reduces the risk for pot smoking politicians.
Do you not get tired?
It is to the PLP hierarchy
The whole world over has done every possible piece of research on this subject and some have even already taken action….WTF!!! are we still fumbling around for..?? I know why ..Do You..?
Too many powerful people financially benefitting from illegal drug trade perhaps? Just a thought…
Genesis 1:29 – Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food’
Strange how a natural plant of the earth is illegal while man-made products alcohol & tobacco both kill & can be purchased anywhere…
Cigarettes and alcohol came from plants and sees too.
Neither of those products come from seeds/plants any more than money comes from trees.
Tobbacco leaves, paper is from trees. Alcohol is made from sugar (sugar cane, sugar beet) and hops (plant). So you are wrong !
everything on this earth that man makes, comes from nature.
and yeast which is plant again.
LOL I know. What I am saying is that they are heavily processed, unlike marijuana.
Saying that cigarettes are natural is like saying Big Macs from McDonalds are natural… They come from nature, somewhere down the line…
Just because a plant is natural doesn’t mean it’s safe to consume. It’s an idiotic argument.
We’re not talking about “a plant”…we’re talking about a “Specific Plant”…come on man ..are you even with us on this subject or are you just a bored idiotic argumentative sleeper..?
And your both conveniently forgetting the numerous chemicals, additives and preservatives present in there mass production and consumption. The worst thing in a pure spliff is likely whatever is in the rizzlas!
That’s a misconception. The impurities from papers (even bad ones) are insignificant compared to the tar and burnt plant matter from the weed.
So lets have adults make adult decisions! I can get 2 red bull for $4.50 at certain case stations and I know it’s terrible for my body! Holland knows what’s up, so does Portugal and the us finally following suite. Bermy has the opportunity to be at the forefront of a whole new breed of economics and set an international standared. This is about so much more than legal/decriminalized herb/weed/ganja/puff/reefer………a small plant with tons of uses. Why not set the standared on fabric/textile grade hemp and give every govt school kid a uniform. Lets fill hotels, ran sack the grocery store with the munches, make dollars for local nurseries and let the 5-0 catch the fellas with the guns!
Vapor is the way
And you don’t think smoking marijuana has any impact on health?
Who are you talking to
There is no need to smoke it to get the effect! Brownies come to mind, yum yum.
Ah, but making brownies means it’s not natural. The dumbass above is telling us that marijuana is better and safer than, say, crack cocaine, because it can be smoked in its natural form ( which it can’t) which he thinks has no adverse impact on health.
You need to come up off the bottom Sandy…i see you didn’t watch the Educational Material that i posted on Laverns’ comment…you know , the very first comment…at the Top…where everyone started reading…you follow me ?
Yeah but the difference is that marijuana comes natural & doesn’t go through an entire process to be made. When’s the last time you heard of someone dying from alcohol & cigarettes opposed to marijuana? I’ll wait…
And marijuana is only made available by honest dealers who don’t roll the buds in crushed glass to make it appear like natural THC crystals.
If you were stand next to a fire and inhale, would you ever expect that to be good for you? Yet rolling up a plant and smoking it magically makes things better?
No, but as an adult in a free and democratic society, If I want to stand next to the fire I will, if you don’t jog on.
Yes of course, the topic here was more about the health concerns.
People run up and down East Broadway (equivalent to at least a pack a day)supposedly for health benefits,no one cares.I bet every one of the “smoke is bad” camp is connected to Belco, increasing the smokestacks output,and drive/ride around in/on their carcinogen spewing vehicles while giving herb smokers,including Rastafarians and sick individuals the judgmental stink eye.Check yourselves.
There’s no process at all? You just pick the leaves, roll them up, and set fire to them? Yeah, I’d actually quite like to see that.
There really is no process at all. You can pick the bud straight off the plant and smoke it. Drying it is not really an unnatural process.
The leaves? So you don’t actually know anything about it. I’d love to grow trees with you, you can have all the leaves you want.
Sorry to say Sandy, despite all of your weak arguments against marijuana, it will soon be legal in many other US states for medicinal and recreational use. Soon it will be legal in Jamaica, Mexico, Canada, and god knows where else because the truth is out there and the money is low. Sandy, the war on cannabis is finally over and its prohibition is coming to an end. Bermuda will surely lag behind and drag her feet like she always does, but eventually she will have to follow suit. Good luck with your fight, you will need it:)
Coca and opium plant are natural plants too
So , I guess ‘Realize and Legalize’ chews the leaves, otherwise it’s man made too.
Ricin is contained in the castor oil plant. That’s natural. Maybe you could grab a handful for lunch today.
Marijuana is not poisonous like ricin. Apples to oranges dear.
Apples to apples my dear. The stupid argument is that marijuana “must be good for you because it’s natural”. Obviously, that is complete rubbish. There are lots of completely natural plants that are harmful if consumed, as I’ve proved with the castor example.
You surely are not the real Sandy Bottom because I’m losing a bit of respect for you based on these comments
Yes it’s a pretty weak argument but no matter how many times people explain to you that marijuana is not as bad as ingesting poison or that all the other drugs you bring up have chemical additives you continue to hold on to this and bring it up every time. Marijuana is not toxic to humans and has not chemical additives to give you a high…get it now?
If your logic is correct, then why is ricin legal?
Other than Weed was there anything else we should be aware of? Like education, jobs or crime? #justasking
legalize not decriminalize. tax to reduce the debt? so govt sells weed now? doctors prescribe it? govts and doctors told us its a terrible thing for 40 years now govt wanna sell it doctors wanna prescribe it? umm politicians and doctors are way discredited for the near future. this ones for the people to decide, not doctors and politicians. we want full legalization and cultivation. we want the word cannabis stricken from all acts and laws, and we don’t care what the plp wants because they never had a referendum or consultation with the people on anything. the oba gonna get credibility with the Bermudian people and thousands of votes for legalizing weed, for a long demographic period plp. healthcare costs gonna drop cuz the people are gonna be actually healthier, mentally physically and most importantly attitudinally. lotta money gonna stay in the country too, the only loser is organized crime and corruption. for 40 years the govt faught a weed and lost, they did a lot of nastiness to a lot of peoples lives who weren’t hurting anyone but maybe themselves. we want full legalization or we gonna claim compensation for that done to us in the war. yay oba
If you think the OBA business man are going to LEGALIZE weed you high as a kite already, now let me go back to takin my PUFF on this friday nite
There’s no way they will legalize it. I know that for sure but I’m all up for the medical benefits as in Doctors prescribe for cancer patients etc. Even though marijuana is something I’m against, I would not mind it being used for those who need it rather than just get high for the fun of it. This is just my opinion.
Cut off my locks and spout off!
Anyone who goes down the street and buys weed is fueling the violence on this island. They don’t consider where that money goes; all they care about is getting high. People who smoke are currently breaking the law, and fueling the arms trade. If you can’t enjoy life without getting high, then it is kind of sad really. At the end of the day it is not really my business, but what is my business is the level of crime, which has increased because of people buying ILLEGAL drugs.
If it is legalized, that may reduce gang violence. At least until some cool islander starts singing about crack… However what effects will that have on international business? Money must come into the island in order for us to survive.
Not sure why International Business would care. Zurich is a much used domicile for IB, and heavy drugs are legal there.
Ever thought where the money goes for alcohol and cigarettes?
Read about Prohibition
During prohibition the money would have went to organized crime. My point is not where the money will go if it is legalized. My point is right now the money is going to organized crime.
Perfect example of why it should be legal.
In the mean time, should people just buy it from drug gangs, not thinking of what impact that is having
Not everyone who sells weed is in a gang. Not everyone who imports is leader/part of/in a gang.
But they are all criminals.
Right now yes, because there is no legal process to be able to supply legally. I have no issue with nailing dealers other than the fact you restrict my personal supply. There is nobody to regulate them, no quality control. Right now everything is based on trust of your supplier. IMO there should be a legal process for this. Countless job could be created, additional revenue streams for government in order to subsidize for more important things for all like education and food costs. My point was that not every bit of weed sold goes to funding gangs and murders. I have people I trust, I would never buy randomly off the street because I could be that next victim. If the government legislated control over this there would be far less victims. Young people would have a harder time getting their hands on it, you would greatly reduce the gangs revenue and be able to put more into the police. Prohibition does not work, it only creates a black market for criminals to gain higher profits. As for harder drugs I’m not sure where to go with that. Other countries have legalized them giving a clean drug, clean environment and clean paraphernalia with some positive results and the aim to get the addict off the substance. I simply chooses not to use them because the damaging effects far outweigh that of marijuana. Of course smoking anything is bad for you but marijuana will not rot the cartilage out of your nose, it won’t make you violently sick if you don’t get any. If you drink too much alcohol your body rejects it (loss of consciousness, throwing up) because it is literally a poison. If you smoke too much weed, you’ll have the best night sleep ever, your body won’t reject it.
Prohibition is fueling the gangs buddy, think outside of the box…or look at history.
Yes it is, that is what I said was it not?
Ultimately if you buy weed, you effectively contributed to killing someone. Murderer !
That’s the reality.
Read your first sentence.
“I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.” – Robert A. Heinlein
“An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law. … Under a government which imprisons unjustly, the true place for a just man is… a prison.” – Henry David Thoreau
I disagree with both those comments.
Would it be ok with you if I came over, smashed up your car, burned your house down and raped your wife, all on the basis that I’m quite prepared to accept the sentence if I’m caught? Would that be morally defensible?
No, I didn’t think so.
The only moral way, in a country that has the rule of law, is to democratically change laws if you don’t agree with them. Until that point you have to follow them.
Wrong, its not a choice but a responsibility to actively oppose unjust laws even by civil disobedience when necessary otherwise there would be no change.Some of us prefer to be leaders rather than followers, not asking people to do what we say but rather learn from our example.I really hope you aren’t comparing destruction of private property,arson and rape to the smoking, possessing or growing of a non-poisonous plant, but looking at some of the other ganjaphobic venom from other fools i am not surprised just disappointed that this type of reefer madness thinking still exists.
So who decides when laws are “unjust” and can simply be ignored?
According to these quotes the individual can overlay his own morality on any laws he likes. Oh great. So if he thinks it’s “unjust” to obey speed limits, pay taxes, get a driving licence, he can just ignore those laws. And that’s morally ok with you. He can steal, embezzle, and of course possess any substance he likes. Presumably he can also own guns, bombs and explosives, if he feels the laws prohibiting possession and ownership are “unjust”.
Interesting.
Those are quotes, read more about them and you will see the example you gave is the exact opposite of what they are trying to say.
I believe Sandy Bottom is using ridiculous examples to show the fallacy in the 2 quotes posted by Come Correct. Why call it “reefer madness”? It seems that there is a consensus to oppose what one sees as an unjust law(s), but until it/they is/are changed one has to abide by it/them.
The quotes are illogical. Believing in them and holding them up as some form of “proof” shows a person has no self thinking to disagree.
If we relied on self thinking instead of learning from everything and everyone we would still be cutting our hair with rocks. I dont live by these quotes they just make sense to me. Here’s a better one from the last guy.
Unjust laws exist; shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? Men generally, under such a government as this, think that they ought to wait until they have persuaded the majority to alter them. They think that, if they should resist, the remedy would be worse than the evil. But it is the fault of the government itself that the remedy is worse than the evil. It makes it worse. Why is it not more apt to anticipate and provide for reform? Why does it not cherish its wise minority? Why does it cry and resist before it is hurt? Why does it not encourage its citizens to be on the alert to point out its faults, and do better than it would have them?
So, like I said above, who decides when a law is “unjust”?
It’s just not reasonable to have anyone break any laws they feel are “unjust”.
If you don’t agree with laws, work through the democratic process to change them. Until that point, there is no moral defense to breaking laws in a democratic society.
Each of us do, through morality. Speeding is illegal because not only can you kill yourself (personal choice) you could affect someone else’s life negatively. Murder is illegal and rightly so because affects the victim negatively and not self. If you remove another person’s choice through your actions that is morally wrong. Morality is thinking about all and not just about self. Criminalizing people for their choice to use a plant is unjust. It is perfectly legal for me to buy bleach and drink it, perfectly legal for me to by muriatic acid and douse myself and perfectly legal for me to buy fuel and set myself on fire. Who is this law protecting? If I respect others and use at home who am I hurting, who’s choice am I removing? It does however remove my freedom of choice. The reason for this form of civil disobedience is because there is no streamline process of change in a democratic society. 70+ years of demonizing and criminalizing people for personal choice and we’re just starting to talk about talking about this. There is no moral defense to removing a persons FREEDOM of choice as long as their choice does not negatively impact others. If not you may as well jail people for life for making death threats in anger before they actually do it, whether they would have or not.
“From Socrates through Thoreau, Gandhi, and King, the great theorists and practitioners of this form of resistance to law have told us in words and actions that civil disobedience requires the disobedient citizen to suffer the legal consequences of his or her unlawful act. In Socrates’s case, the consequence was death at the hands of the Athenian authorities. For Thoreau, Ghandi, and King, the consequence was jail. Through their suffering and example, they sought to undermine the moral position of law they found objectionable. Because unless the disobedient citizen takes the legal consequences of his unlawful action – he’s nothing but a criminal or a rebel.”
Joel Brenner
Come Correct-
With respect, your arguments support changing the law, not disobeying it.
To move the conversation to the realm of civil disobedience, the question becomes (as in one of the quotes you cited), are you willing to accept the consequences of breaking a law you believe to be unjust? Are you willing to smoke ganga on the front lawn of Parliament, and be arrested, and go to jail?
Dr. Martin Luther King did not sneak into luncheonettes to change unjust laws. Gandhi did not sneak around India complaining about British occupation. Both were willing to accept the consequences of challenging laws they saw as unjust. I’m not seeing that part of the equation in these (not just yours) comments.
Or is your civil disobedience limited to sneaking around to purchase and smoke it, and hope no one finds you? If so, that is not civil disobedience. It is selfishness trying to seem like civil disobedience.
EW
I’m sure smoking on the front lawn of parliament would be counterproductive to the cause, or it might open some eyes, don’t know but I have more respect for others than that. As far as being caught, I’m not paying the fine so what will they do with me? The above mentioned people also fought for far greater causes such as abolition of slavery and being conscripted into wars they did not want to fight so it’s understandable the aggressive approach they took. Being able to use marijuana is far less of and issue to me but still one that needs to be addressed. Prohibition of marijuana serves no purpose to our people, it’s all about choice, some will some won’t, just like alcohol and cigarettes. One more thing, people are suffering the consciences of breaking the law they feel is unjust, by not being able to further their education, that the whole reason this is coming up.
I agree. And in this case we’re not exactly talking about Ghandi and MLK. We’re talking about people who want another way to get their jollies. .
Quotes like this are wit, twee expressions laced with humour to amuse or in a vain attempt to sound clever. I bet none followed up on the persons who said that when locked up in a hell hole if they ever actually went to a hell hole… Sure much of their bravado was cheap and shallow like them. No cares for the hurt or victims who have to suffer the pain over a lifetime.
Squall is a loser raised by another loser
Dont be mad at the weed smokers
You just mad because you was a loser back then and a bigger loser now. Go eat a d!(k
I am just trying to get people to think about where their money goes when they buy illegal drugs.
If you would like to debate, please don’t give up and resort to calling people names.
this just might be of interest to you … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwc9pBSsr7k
Hahaha…. Legalize it and all your troubles go away? Gangster put down their guns and become Farmers? Can OBA take credit to the count of 2,000 jobs created? What IB have to say? Wait we don’t care. I remember the last group that said that. Kinda why we are where we are. Help tourism? I think half you who bought that up are high. Maybe ease some minds on getting caught with personal use but are you saying Bermuda with it’s reputation should evolve as a place to vacation and get charged? Sure all the families out there are thinking “hey, where can we take the kids on vacation? Look we can get charged in Bermuda, lets go?”
Laws must change to stop prosecuting and ruining opportunities for the ones that have been caught with small amounts I agree completely. But as the saying goes,” give them an inch they take a mile”. As many on here have been comparing alcohol and cigarettes not being good for you; yes weed is not good for you as well. I don’t want to hear about reports for its uses. Yes it has “uses”. A lot of drugs have uses but do you take them every day to the point of you not being able to function? Yes the potheads smoke every day like the alcoholics and cigarette smokers. Look at the zombies walking around this Island now and that’s with laws in place. And by the way; it will not reduce crime. While I can say most ganja smokers and I use the word MOST lightly; tend to be mellow cool dudes, no ones going to give it to you for free. So if people are robbing you now to get money for weed, I guess once it’s legal they would not? Wait I forgot; no weed smokers rob people.
And as I mentioned in my second sentence; the gangsters are too lazy to farm so they just work a move around it to cash in and run it.
My best friend died from AIDS and the first thing her Dr. told her (before she passed)partner was to get some “weed” to build up her appetite. I know some one who smoked it for their asthma, most people have tried it even in college 50+ years ago. They may say “I never inhaled it”. Who smokes but doesn’t inhale one of the best plants that God created. If some of you haven’t watched documentaries on the subject, then do so. Because you’d be surprised who tokes.
“I’m sure smoking on the front lawn of parliament would be counterproductive to the cause, or it might open some eyes, don’t know but I have more respect for others than that. As far as being caught, I’m not paying the fine so what will they do with me? The above mentioned people also fought for far greater causes such as abolition of slavery and being conscripted into wars they did not want to fight so it’s understandable the aggressive approach they took. Being able to use marijuana is far less of and issue to me but still one that needs to be addressed. Prohibition of marijuana serves no purpose to our people, it’s all about choice, some will some won’t, just like alcohol and cigarettes. One more thing, people are suffering the consciences of breaking the law they feel is unjust, by not being able to further their education, that the whole reason this is coming up.”
Come Correct and Sandy Bottom-
Fair enough, but then don’t cloak your choosing to ignore the law as civil disobedience- it isn’t. It’s willingly breaking existing law because you want to- nothing noble about it.
Again, all of your arguments are very valid reasons to changes the law, but not to ignore it.
EW
Sorry to say Sandy, despite all of your weak arguments against marijuana, it will soon be legal in many other US states for medicinal and recreational use. Soon it will be legal in Jamaica, Mexico, Canada, and god knows where else because the truth is out there and the money is low. Sandy, the war on cannabis is finally over and its prohibition is coming to an end. Bermuda will surely lag behind and drag her feet like she always does, but eventually she will have to follow suit. Good luck with your fight, you will need it:)
How will the regulate the sale of cannabis. As a Bermudian entrepreneur living in Europe I would love to open coffeeshops like they have in Holland or even dispensaries for safe sale of cannabis.