Ex-Young Dem: Medicinal marijuana industry could be part of crime solution

Tyra Trotman, the former head of the Democratic Labour Party’s youth arm, the Young Democrats, has called on the government to expand the medicinal marijuana industry as a potential solution to rising crime rates among young men.

In an interview with Barbados TODAY, Trotman highlighted the lack of economic opportunities as a key factor driving youth towards criminal activities.

She expressed her concerns over the escalating crime problem, particularly gun violence involving young men, and cited recent incidents, including charges against a 26-year-old and a 17-year-old for serious crimes, as well as the tragic mass shooting on Nelson Street, as symptoms of a broader societal issue.

“History shows that men, young men in particular, are put under serious pressure to financially provide for their families, whether it be for their mothers, girlfriends, child mothers, or other family members,” Trotman explained. “Therefore, if we are operating in an environment where we are starving our young men of opportunities to make an honest living, we are inadvertently fostering young criminals.”

The attorney-at-law emphasised that societal expectations often force young men into early economic responsibility.

“From the tender age of 16, young men are expected to put food on the table, their value and worth being attached to how much money they can provide,” she noted. “It is this type of factual matrix that births criminal activities and criminals.”

And the pressure to meet societal expectations — such as having a good job, owning a home, and supporting a family — creates a burden that many young men struggle to bear without legitimate economic pathways, Trotman contended.

“Without these things, or without a clear pathway to achieve these things, young men may feel worthless, lost, and inferior. If a young man finds himself feeling this way and is presented with an opportunity to make fast cash, he will certainly be more tempted to grab at this opportunity due to his current vulnerability,” she said.

As a solution, Trotman proposed expanding the medicinal marijuana industry in Barbados to provide legal job opportunities for young people. She pointed out that while the country already has a framework in place, including the Medicinal Cannabis Industry Act and the Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Licensing Authority, the industry remains financially inaccessible for many youths.

“The industry needs to be more accessible to young people,” Trotman said. “Applications for licences to cultivate alone start at $1 980 just to apply, and the actual licence itself, at tier one, which permits cultivation of up to one acre, is $29 700.”

The political activist believes that the medicinal marijuana industry could potentially replace the declining sugar industry and create significant job opportunities across various sectors, including cultivation, processing, research and development, lab technicians, transport, and security.

She also highlighted the potential for increased tax revenue from legal marijuana sales, which could be reinvested in social development programmes to address the root causes of crime.

“This in turn can provide the government with more capital to invest in social development, specifically in community development programmes, infrastructure, education, and public health initiatives, which eventually leads to enhanced social conditions that are conducive to reducing crime,” Trotman asserted.

The former Young Democrat pointed out that many young people are already engaging in the illegal cultivation and sale of marijuana, leading to convictions and imprisonment. She argued that legalising and regulating the industry could help dismantle the black market and reduce crime, creating a safer, healthier society.

“The farming of marijuana presents a unique opportunity to reduce crime by dismantling the black market, redirecting law enforcement efforts, creating economic opportunities, and investing in community development,” she said. “Think about it this way: the more you have to live for, the less you will put yourself in situations to die. Nothing to lose is nothing to look forward to.” (RG)