Afrikan Heritage Foundation slams cannabis rules

The Afrikan Heritage Foundation has criticised the execution and oversight of cannabis regulations in Barbados, urging authorities to take immediate action.

The foundation highlighted the absence of provisions for citizens, comparing it with more lenient regulations in other Caribbean countries where individuals are allowed to smoke limited quantities of marijuana without penalty.

The Drug Abuse Prevention Amendment Act declares that while those found in possession of 15 grammes or less of cannabis may avoid a criminal record, they will still be ordered to pay a fine.

President of the foundation, Paul Rock also known as Ras Simba Akoma, said: “Every other island that sought to get into the industry has given their people some sort of allowance . . . whether it is two ounces or up to five plants; whatever the allowance is, people were given something. In Barbados, we still cannot legally carry a seed . . . . Anything under 15 grammes, which is essentially a quarter ounce, is a ticketable offence. It’s still an offence, so we were given nothing.”

The foundation also raised concerns about the handling of the sacramental use of cannabis within the Rastafarian community. Ras Simba criticised the government for passing laws hastily without proper consultation, particularly regarding the recognition of Rastafarian homes as places of worship where cannabis can be used sacramentally.

The law grants the Rasta community the right to cultivate and use marijuana for spiritual purposes, but dictates that authorisation to engage in these activities at a designated place of worship is contingent upon approval from the Attorney General.

Ras Simba described these conditions as offensive, and questioned why he had to “make applications to use my communion.

“If it is my right, it’s my right. You can’t give me a right and then box me in,” he insisted.

Ras Simba, who is currently engaged in a constitutional lawsuit against the Attorney General’s Office, said he had applied for a licence to use cannabis sacramentally in 2019 when the law was just passed, and only received a response last month.

He said: “When you apply, inspectors are supposed to come out and check how secure your place is, where it’s located, and so forth. Can you imagine that my charity applied for one of the licences to see the process and about three weeks ago, a letter was sent to me saying that inspectors are now ready to come and inspect the place to see if I’m eligible? We are in 2024. I made this application in 2019. Do you see the level of inadequacy?” 

Ras Simba charged that the law was “simply passed to pacify people . . . to make something disappear, but really actually it’s still there”.

“So we are again calling on the government to act in good conscience and fix these laws,” he said.

To further advocate for change and provide a platform for public input, Cannabis Barbados, a subsection of the Afrikan Heritage Foundation, will be hosting an event called Elevating, Creating a Cannabis Culture on Saturday, April 20, at Golden Square Freedom Park.

To mark the day, which is considered an informal holiday for marijuana users in the United States (4/20), Ras Simba said he hopes the government will take into consideration a call to recognise the date as Cannabis Day in Barbados.

“I’m not saying it should be a bank holiday, but just as how events like Down Syndrome Day are celebrated and people are asked to wear special colours or crazy socks in support, in the same way, let’s observe April 20 as Cannabis Day and have people wear green,” he suggested. (SM)