Leader of the proposing team in the newly formed National Youth Parliament, Hanif Gregoire strongly believes that the legalization of cannabis will be a game changer for the agricultural industry.
He was addressing the first meeting of the first session of the National Youth Parliament held this week.
The youth parliament, an initiative of the National Youth Council of Dominica (NYCD), was structured to encourage active citizenship among the youth and promote involvement in democracy and governance.
“The government of Dominica must be proactive and take necessary actions to develop and implement policies which will sustain the country’s economic growth through diversification practices,” Gregote stated. “After discussion with many persons from different walks of life in our society, including the youth, it is thought of by many that the legalization of marijuana, to encourage its commercial use of medicinal marijuana, allowing for the free cultivation of this crop will prove to be a game changer for the agricultural industry.”
He said the cultivation of cannabis will stimulate the resurgence of youth participation in the agricultural sector, and based on criminal records, many of these youth are already involved in the illegal cultivation of this crop.
Gregoire said furthermore, given the advances in modern technology, the inclusion of digital technology and renewable energy to aid in the cultivation of the crop, would generate great excitement and interest from the youth.
“Therefore, the legalization of marijuana to encourage its commercial use does have the potential to transform the agricultural industry and introduce new money to that sector, whilst providing opportunities for the youth to earn a living for themselves,” the youth parliamentarian argued.
He said the government has taken the first bold step and passed legislation to decriminalize marijuana.
“Now we are proposing for the government to move one step further and enact legislation to facilitate the legalization of marijuana allowing the cultivation, sale and use of cannabis,” he noted.
He continued, “We the proposing team believes that policy that supports the legalization will prove to be the most effective in minimizing the illegal trade and the crimes associated with it by instituting regulations.”
Gregoire added, “That policy will seek to break the cultural practices of marijuana, generally for recreational purposes, by introducing the utilization of marijuana for commercial purposes and the vast opportunities that can be realized from that industry.”
He believes that to develop policy for the legalization of the crop, comprehensive market research will have to be conducted to determine the viability a proposed cannabis industry for Dominica, taking into consideration the entire life cycle of the crop, from production to the value chain.
“This research study should focus on one, demand and supply for this crop, the capital needed to kick-start the industry, employment opportunities involved particularly for the youth, the impact it will have on the quality of life of Dominicans, consumer expectations, scale of production, the utilization of the digital economy to attract youth participation,” he explained.
Other research areas, according to Gregoire, include the identification of suitable lands, identification of target markets for exportation of medicinal marijuana, the risk factors involved, the removal of restrictions and approval of licenses…”
For her part, Leader of the opposing team, Lakeyia Joseph acknowledged that the legalization of marijuana would mean that one would possess or use the drug according to the guidelines and limitations governing marijuana use.
“What I do care about most deeply and passionately and what our stance as a team leans towards, is the new industry that is trying to convince us that we are utilizing and consuming a natural product while fixing social ills,” Joseph argued.
She said this just isn’t the case.
The youth parliamentarian maintains that for thousands of years cannabis has been used, abused, transformed and repurposed.
“From a historic point of view, marijuana was made illegal and considered a class one product in the first place as a result of racist connection attached to the drug, causing people of colour in the United States to be looked down on for merely using the herb even for medicinal purposes,” Joseph explained. “To say that we are legalizing marijuana will be far from the truth.”
She said for example, the proposing leader argued that legalization of marijuana increases tax revenues, income and job creation and investment opportunities which are all powerful incentives to push our legalization agenda.
“But what he did not take into consideration are the ability of law enforcement officers to keep up with shifting regulations, the concern of increased drug and human trafficking, the potential for decreased property values the use and abuse of the drug by the youth and so much more,” Joseph contended.
She added, “In all honesty marijuana can provide economic benefits, especially for the country’s youth, but at what cost are we willing to welcome these benefits into our society?”
Thirty parliamentarians participated in the National Youth Parliament held on March 23rd and 24th, 2022.
The youth parliamentarians also debated on other matters such as Mandatory Vaccination, Housing Development, Geothermal Energy and the International Airport.
“From a historic point of view, marijuana was made illegal and considered a class one product in the first place as a result of racist connection attached to the drug, causing people of colour in the United States to be looked down on for merely using the herb even for medicinal purposes,” Joseph explained.
Ok but what does any of that have to do with Dominica? That’s not our history. So because China spies on all ifs citizens, Dominica must do the same?
What all these talk about that mariguana (according to the elderlies) I don’t know. Next it will be cocaine. To hell with drugs.
Pizza frozen on shelves
Breadfruit fries(like potato fries) frozen on shelves
Pomegranate (this grows itself), string beans, canned foods, coconut cheese in squares in container packed (6),
Peas and carrots. carrot soup, carrot juice
Cacao cold bottled on shelves
Callaloo and put in cans like Campbell soup
Sausage
Pattie coco (like hot pockets).
Cassava pocket filled and frozen (like hot pockets)
Flour alternatives – breadfruit, banana
Tolouman drink – cold bottled on shelves
Pumpkin canned
Agricultural and industrial this is the way to go. THE WORLD WILL ALWAYS BE IN NEED OF FOOD.
We are need of another beer – beverage company
Farming – beef dairy farm for milk and cheese and yogurt etc.
Herbs and spices bottled or packaged – there is a market for this.
Rosemary
Teas (teabags) cinnamon(ground in teabags)
Bayleaf(teabags)
Caribbean chicken soup(Dominica style)
Yes, it is wonderful to have all these things, you sound like a child on Christmas making a list to Santa Claus. Coincidently, some things on your wish list were operational in the Country at one time, but have you paused and asked yourself why they are no more, and whose to blame and what were the causes. Addressing such a complex matter cannot be done within the confines of a comment limited to 1000 words.
I will tell you this If you are one of those thinking and looking at The Government or Governments as sole the reason for us not having those things then we will be in this perpetual cycle always wishing like you. That is my opinion, you may not agree with me, but I will tell you there is a thought atmosphere in our Country never witnessed before that is counterproductive, we are our worst enemies. I do not have all the answers. We need an awakening of the entrepreneurial spirit
@Gary
This is what I am promoting – outside of the weed business. I am showing the various industries that could come up – entrepreneurial spirit. We are importing these things. I am not looking to the government to do this for us. I look at the people in the opposition blaming the government for lack of this – Sometimes you have to joggle people’s memory.
Banana industry I heard a guy complaining he quit he could not sell his bananas – finding a way to CAN already cooked sliced bananas to be used in recipes and as fries real fries.
Industrial age – processing age this is the age we are entering. to increase our exports.
I believe in the entrepreneurial spirit and not sell out industries to foreign. We have it in terms of monies being allocated towards. It is just tapping into the monies available and seeking technical support.
Thanks for your reply, and making your point, you have demonstrated what this forum is all about.
Francisco Etienne- Dods Telemaque is making complete sense(100%).That is how the majority of Dominicans think.We can already see the stupidness,young men and women smoking weed all over the place talking BS.Francisco is right for the first time,
Is the Legalization of cannabis going to be a game changer for agriculture in Dominica wow, what a far-fetched belief in such thing as the magic bullet to revitalize the agriculture Industry in Dominica. Yes, there is a potential market for the medicinal use and Hemp by products. For any industry to develop and thrive there have to be certain requirements it’s not just planting the crop and bingo, that is a fantasy. This young lady must not be carried away by not thoroughly understanding the dynamics of what she is espousing and making cliché statements. Do we need to decriminalize procession of marijuana, yes.
I will say one thing, she sounds like a future Politician, lol, young lady enjoy your 15 minutes of fame.
It would have been a game changer in the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s & 2010s – but it didn’t happen why?
Common sense – watch Amsterdam, weed tourism for decades, massive part of their economy. We naturally have a better product/supply – but Uncle have us watching white countries make money while we sit down brokes. Make itmake sense!
I agree. It should’ve happened decades ago. People stereotypically associate weed with the Caribbean, we should’ve used that to our advantage years ago & profited from that but nope…
The world has changed now. The Caribbean legalizing it wouldn’t be as beneficial as it would’ve been if they done that decades ago. It still needs to happen though
We should not be in the legalization of weed on this scale. A thorough look into this and limited in scope with focus on Rastafarism(religious) and medical research and production of cosmetics and topical. NOT for recreational use. NARROW and extremely NARROW. We should be focusing on GROWING FOOD while everyone else is going into the lucrative weed business they ABANDON food – they are going to be in need of FOOD so think longterm of picking up the MARKET for FOOD. FOOD SHORTAGE and farming in the world wide – FOOD FIRST. CANNING food etc. We should try to be the food basket of the Caribbean of near this.
Producing products for cosmetics which is a bigger industry telling me about the person from Dominica in the USA with this business – what happen who gets the big profits them not us – working in the field and the office jobs high paying for them?
Growing peas, cucumbers, pickles, carrots, string beans, peppers, sweet corn etc and canning and freezing – food on shelves.
We’ve been growing food, that’s what we do. Where have you been?
Food is food & weed is weed. They have nothing to do with each other. What point are you trying to make? They’re completely different markets. Growing food doesn’t stop you from growing weed. I don’t know what sort of maths you did to come to that conclusion but it’s wrong. That’s like saying Roosevelt Skerrit shouldn’t sell passports because he already makes enough money stealing from the governments budget…of course that’s not going to happen, he wants more money therefore he’s going to do both!
DNO, why are you not posting my comments?\
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If Approved then where is my comment. i still cant see on the site
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not trying to sound negative or anything like that. but that is indeed a very poor argument in itself. “legalizing the recreational use of marijuana to generate income in the wake of the sudden buy long foreseen demise of the CBI program” would have been a much better argument.
“The revamping of Agriculture for the purposes of consumption, sale, and manufacturing” would be a more suitable title for them to have argued.
Very valid points from both. Interesting to learn the reason it was made illegal in the first place was a racist ploy with white-supremacist connotations. I now wonder how they get our government and police to participate in locking up our own people as our contribution to their racist take down.
Yawns: political and religious dogma is sniffling human society and soon will lead to chaos. Those two things have divided, destroyed and enslaved peoples for millenia. That’s what we should be talking about. All other things will be resolved once we stop the petty self-righteous evils that poison us. Please stay out of politics if you seek power or financial benefit. Go be a ceo or kingpin
Why worry about Marijuana when there are a thousand fruits that can be introduced from other parts of the tropics thT can bring economic a health benefits?
Look what that single introduction passionfruit did for Dominica!
Need I say more?
Pope, marijuana comes with a natural market and export ready even as is, our type of soil conducive to high oil content. Try marketing passion fruit in Antigua for instance, you may sell a few. Need I say more?
In Dominica the laws for the legalization of marijuana already exist what is missing is the structure for issuing licenses, hence we are one of the most advance in the English speaking Caribbean yet we are celebrating decriminalization of marijuana, this is so sad especially seeing our youth not doing the necessary research in order to have a constructive discussion on such a topic, just following the usual talk, hear say. Gregoire who is a professional should have a scientific approach to problem solving. We need to stop celebrating mediocrity. The government should be putting in the licensing authority and structure to allow for the legal commercialization of marijuana instead of this uninformed mediocre discussion.
“Gregoire strongly believes that the legalization of cannabis will be a game changer for the agricultural industry.”
That is a very stupid insinuation; all the legalization of this dope will do is give you the legal right to smoke in public getting high; and walking around like zombies, it will do the same as alcohol has done to a lot of people in Dominica, both women and men!
It is surprising to hear so, called youths of a country talk such crap!
Even in places in the developed world where Marijuana is somehow legalized for medicinal, and to a point used for recreational purpose, we still do not find it is utilized as a source of employment; so lets wait and see the damage it,s going to cause the mind of those who welcome the legalization of this drudge in Dominica. I see Marijuana oil on health store shelves, but I do not see a long line of people buying any type of Marijuana product, so that tell me it is not as useful as one me believe!
It’s not Agriculture!
@Francisco, l could not have agreed with you more, l don’t want to repeat what you just said but anyone thinking legalization of marijuana agriculture is the way forward should have their Calabash head tested!!!
Dogs If thr Pm were to approve it will see how fast you will be singing a different tune, and praising his name.
Duh..the subject has been around for so long, so much information/misinformation and that’s what you find to write, in this day?