(Stock Photo)
Members of the public will have a chance to express their views on the issue of marijuana on Wednesday, June 7, during a town hall meeting at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC), Two Mile Hill, St. Michael, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
This forms part of a Regional Consultation on Marijuana hosted by the National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA), in collaboration with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Bus transportation will be provided from the LESC to the Fairchild Street and Princess Alice Bus Terminals following the event.
Alternatively, persons can also have their say by submitting their comments to the NCSA through the Manager, National Council on Substance Abuse, “The Armaira Building”, Corner of 1st Avenue Belleville and Pine Road, St. Michael, or via email to info@ncsa.org.bb.
All submissions should be clearly labelled CARICOM Regional Consultation on Marijuana – Barbados. Further details on the consultation may also be found on the NCSA’s website www.ncsa.org.bb.
In July 2014, the CARICOM Conference of Heads of Government mandated the Secretary-General of CARICOM to establish the Marijuana Commission to examine the social, economic, health and legal issues surrounding the various aspects of marijuana use in the Caribbean and its implications, and make recommendations.
This resulted in the formation of the Regional Commission on Marijuana to conduct “a rigorous enquiry into the social, economic, health and legal issues surrounding marijuana use in the Caribbean”.
The CARICOM Secretariat is in the process of undertaking a series of National Consultations through the Regional Marijuana Commission to elicit the views of stakeholders and the general population on issues pertaining to marijuana usage in the region.
The NCSA has been selected to coordinate the Barbados leg of the Regional Consultation through focus group discussions with key population groups; a town hall meeting; and key expert interviews.
The outcome of this consultation process will inform the preparation of a comprehensive report of the findings and recommendations to be presented to the CARICOM Heads of Government for their deliberation and decision.