BAS says marijuana research not way to go

CHIEF Executive Officer of the Barbados Agricultural Society James Paul is emphatically against legalising marijuana use in Barbados.

 

Furthermore, he believes that instead of calls made by the University of the West Indies Cave Hill campus to grant laws to allow for that institution to conduct research into medical marijuana, greater focus should be placed on how the campus through its research, could improve agricultural crops on the island.

 

His comments came on the sidelines of a rebranding of Star Chick Ltd., on Tuesday where he said the legalisation of marijuana would be a wrong move for Barbados.

 

“I know there are people who do not like me for that. I don’t mind stating my position. I would not support the legalisation of marijuana. When we look at the young men and in society just look around ... and our young women. We have a whole generation of young people who are lost,” he stated.

 

“I don’t know why there are some people who all they can think of is money and surviving at the expense of others who would want to subject our young people to this. Nobody did it to us, why are we trying to do it to them?” he queried.

 

Paul, charged that these calls made by the University of the West Indies, is showing a bankruptcy of ideas. “It shows a bankruptcy of ideas when it comes to the agricultural sector... because they are not being driven by the local needs of the sector, but by some perceived need, that somehow some magical money would come up and help to finance that type of research,” Paul pointed out.

 

“They need to come to the agricultural sector and see how they can help us better. They should stop trying to go out there at Dukes and compromise good agricultural land and do a field research station there with the traditional crops and show us how to grow them better,” he said.

 

“There are some who are hooked on it and who would do anything to convince those of us who are not hooked on it that it does you well. That is fine and well. But we must not allow ourselves that because of the fact that people want to sell a product and strap it down our throats that as a society and as a nation we could compromise our principles and good sense and judgement in this matter.” (JH)