NOMINATIONS
END
MAY 7TH!!!
Caribbean L 36 ife, May 3–9, 2019
Charles Thompson (L), a lecturer at the Borough of Manhattan
Community College, City University of New York
(CUNY) presents a Certifi cate of Appreciation and plaque
to SVG Opposition MP, Roland “Patel” Matthews, his former
classmate at the Petit Bordel Secondary School in St. Vincent
and the Grenadines, for Matthews’ representation in
the North Leeward constituency. Photo by Nelson A. King
ARE YOU
ONE OF THE
BEST?
WE KNOW YOU’RE
NODDING YES.
!"#!
$%&'()*&+,
By Nelson A. King
An opposition Member of
Parliament in St. Vincent and
the Grenadines has expressed
deep concern that poor farmers
will not benefit significantly
from the legalization of marijuana
for medical purposes in
the country.
“My fear is that poor people
will not be involved,” Roland
“Patel” Matthews, the shadow
minister of Agriculture, Land
and Fisheries for the main
opposition New Democratic
Party (NDP), told a town hall
meeting Saturday night at the
Friends of Crown Heights Educational
Center in Brooklyn.
“Today, St. Vincent and the
Grenadines is to benefit, but
the poor people will be the
loser,” added Matthews, parliamentary
representative for
North Leeward, whose constituency
is considered to have the
highest concentration of marijuana
farmers in the country.
Matthews said, while the
NDP supported the medical
marijuana bills in Parliament,
it has serious misgivings about
sections of the measures.
“The bills do very little to
change the status of marijuana
growers,” said the former
school teacher. “Most marijuana
farmers are landless, since
they squatted on crown lands.
“The empowerment of traditional
and local farmers is
not promoted in the bills,” he
added. “The Cannabis Cultivation
Amnesty Bill is flawed and
exposes traditional farmers to
financial loss.”
In addition, Matthews said
no financial support is provided
for traditional farmers “who
struggled to create the industry,”
stating that a Marijuana
Farmers Association must be
promoted.
He said the NDP, if elected
to office in the next general
elections in St. Vincent and the
Grenadines, would overhaul
the Prevention of the Misuse
Drugs Act and issue guidelines
on sentencing “that will reflect
and recognize the changes
that marijuana now has on the
world view.”
“We will focus primarily on
traditional farmers and locals
who must benefit from the
industry,” he declared. “Appropriate
land tenure and licensing
strategies must be developed to
assist small, landless traditional
farmers who currently squat.”
For the first three years of
the regulated industry, Matthews
said the NDP would give
licenses to plots of one acre or
less.
The NDP government would
also permit possession of two
ounces or less of marijuana for
personal use, “with appropriate
restrictions for use in public
places and for use by minors,”
Matthews said.
He said the NDP administration
would legalize possession
of up to 2 ounces of marijuana;
“completely expunge all records
of convictions for persons convicted
of possession of up to two
ounces of marijuana, including
persons currently serving prison
sentences;” and “consider
making reparations for persons
who paid fines for possession
of up to two ounces of marijuana.”
In addition, the member of
Parliament said the NDP government
would “permit use of
the herb for religious purposes
without state harassment or
discrimination; permit an individual
household to grow up to
five marijuana trees; encourage
meaningful partnerships
between traditional farmers
and local and foreign investors;
encourage marijuana related
industries in a regulated environment;
(and) work towards
legalization of marijuana eventually.”
“St. Vincent and the Grenadines
is second to Jamaica in
marijuana (production in the
Caribbean),” Matthews said. “I
represent a constituency that
marijuana has a big role. People
are using money from marijuana
to uplift themselves.
Poor Vincentian farmers have little
to gain from marijuana initiative