Economist Jeremy Stephen.

Economist Jeremy Stephen.

Money in marijuana

 

By-products of marijuana could spell dollar signs for the country and the region.
 
In a recent interview, economist Jeremy Stephen highlighted that it is necessary to explore the by-products that could come about if marijuana was decriminalised.
 
“So for instance with hemp, there is some kind of economic benefit from allowing the use of hemp. Shirts for example, I have learnt recently that there are a lot of sales of shirts from hemp being used,” the head of the Barbados Economic Society said.
 
He added, “Looking into pharmacology, there is some medicinal usage as well, especially for glaucoma. So there are a lot of by-products that can lead to or redound to economic benefit.   
 
Going further, Stephen suggested that the legalisation of the plant could be a boon for the agricultural industry.
 
“You can have farmers who are right now probably struggling in sugar, growing something that actually carries a great demand if the product is fine enough, and I am not talking just for the recreational usage of it, but more so medicinal and the by-products you could get out of it,” he stressed.
 
His comments came as the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies hosted a two-day symposium last week addressing the topic “Marijuana: Perpetual Problem or Potential Problem Solver for Barbados”.
 
 

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