Permits needed
Rastafarians seeking to use marijuana as part of their faith, once the legislation is passed, will have to apply for permits from the Minister of Legal Affairs to do so.
That’s according to the current holder of that office, Attorney General Dale Marshall. Piloting the Sacramental Cannabis Bill 2019 in the House of Assembly yesterday morning, the AG said under the intended regime Rastafarians can as a congregation use cannabis as a sacrament in a place of worship.
He went on to explain the person who is responsible for the administration or management of that place of worship, will be required to obtain a sacramental use permit for that purpose. He said in seeking their permit, they will have to fill out a form providing information that indicates that it is a group and identify the names of five persons in that group. According to the legislation, the permit allows for the cultivation and harvesting of cannabis on the premises of the place of worship; the possession, preparation or processing of cannabis as a sacrament at the place of worship; the smoking or other use of cannabis as sacrament at the place of worship; and the storage, destruction, or disposal of cannabis at the place of worship. He added those who hold such permits can also apply for exempt event permits where they will be allowed to use cannabis in public as part of their faith.
“This is not about a fella wanting to get high and deciding well I want to smoke and anybody who cannot see the distinction between recreation ... and serious people searching for a religious experience, that person is not the person I am talking to today. I began by saying Barbadians have accepted the practice of other faiths and they have accepted the people’s right to express it,” he stated.
He added, “We are saying that in the context of your church the Rastafarians can practice and smoke marijuana and for that purpose Sir they are able to possess limited amount of marijuana for that purpose”.
Meanwhile, Marshall indicated that there are no fees to be paid for the permits, explaining that it would be “unconscionable” for Government to charge fees to practice faith. He made the point while also noting that Rastafarians will however not be allowed to use cannabis when practising their faith at home.
“There are arguments for going farther than I am prepared to go. There are arguments which say that if you can allow me to practice my faith in church why should you also not allow me to practice it when I get home? After all Anglicans and Catholics are allowed to pray at home, the priest does come and give you communion at home, there are some families that have daily devotions at home and nobody stops them from doing whatever they want to do at home; why Mr. Marshall, AG are you not going to allow me to smoke as a religious practice at home? That’s the question, it is a legitimate question,” he admitted.
Reflecting on that, he said the exercise of freedoms are not total and Government had to make a judgement call on that matter. He said in order to allow such it would require that there is a registry of Rastafarians, which he said is not their intention. He added that allowing the use of cannabis at home, would open questions regarding who is a Rastafarian and who is not and if that persons is found in possession of the substance and arrested, the courts would have a hard time determining whether they are true practitioners of the faith.
Responding also to concerns that allowing Rastafarians to use marijuana will lead to widespread use, he said while their congregations “might swell”, but he maintains people are not going to run to church with the Rastafarians just to be able to smoke weed.
“I would not go to church to get communion if I wanted a little wine because there is no logic to it. So those people that are going to arguing ‘man everybody is going to be heading up to the religious temple of the Rastafarians so they could smoke weed’ I mean really?
He continued, “And so what if people do? Our statute as we propose it, is limiting your use of cannabis in the context of a religious place and in the context of an act of worship”. (JRT)