Belize: Legalization of cannabis expected in mid-April, but the Church opposes it

The last few miles are often the hardest. Such is the case for the bill to legalize cannabis in Belize, a small Central American country. Visit Cannabis and Industrial Hemp Control and Licensing Act is ready to go. It is due to come into force on April 18. But the Church pulls out all the stops to delay it.

The National Evangelical Association of Belize wants a referendum, in the hope that the «no» vote will win. For this to happen, a petition needs to be signed by 10 % of the electorate, or around 18,000 people in this country of 350,000 inhabitants.

«The people of Belize should have a voice in such a radical change to the morals of our society. It must be up to the people to decide whether an illegal drug becomes legal, with horrible ramifications for the future of our country.», asks this Christian organization in a press release. Moral arguments reminiscent of those used by the Mormon Church in the United States.

Church needs 18,000 signatures by April 18

The Church is therefore playing the «democratic denial» card, even if it doesn't specify that the current government was democratically elected in 2020. Its leader, Prime Minister John Briceño, has been promising since 2018 that he wants to legalize cannabis if he comes to power.

Since then, the bill has (with difficulty) passed through the House of Representatives and the Senate. «I am surprised that this request for a referendum has come so late in the day., Economy Minister Kareem Musa takes aim during a television debate. We worked with the churches, with the social partners for the whole of last year. And it's only when the bill has passed the House and Senate that they're calling for a referendum.»

The Church will have to find 18,000 signatures to trigger a referendum before April 18 - a virtually impossible task. After that date, the government will sign the bill into law.

The law provides for the introduction of licenses, so that stores can legally sell cannabis. Consumers, on the other hand, will have to obtain a «cannabis identity card» from the government» to buy their favorite products in-store.