BREAKING: Evangelical pastors call for referendum on marijuana/cannabis/hemp regime

Published by BBNTEAM at March 25, 2022

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Posted: Friday, March 25, 2022. 3:39 pm CST.

By Aaron Humes: The leaders of the National Evangelical Association of Belize (NEAB) have called for the Government to put the matter of the new ‘marijuana regime’ to the people.

Vice-President of the Association, Reverend Lance Lewis, told us this afternoon on Independence Plaza that a referendum would give a ‘definitive’ result on the issue, which NEAB has campaigned against for many years.

Pastor Lewis and his colleagues Pastor Scott Stirm, Pastor Santie Valencia, and Pastor Louis Wade endorsed a position of the Roman Catholic Church, which they say they have verified, that Belize risks becoming a ‘marijuana republic’ and endangering the rest of the population to satisfy a few weak-willed individuals.

According to Pastor Stirm, with Belize in the middle of South American and Mexican cartels, we risk national security by implementing the growing and selling of cannabis – which he reminded are still illegal in both Mexico and Guatemala.

And he cited the example of Colorado which has seen hundreds of busts of illegal cannabis operations and money laundering related to marijuana sales.

Pastor Wade said he believes the Government is not sure it would have the votes to back the referendum if it calls one – otherwise, he said, they would have put it in #planBelize and otherwise promoted the issue. Certainly, they have paid little attention to the concerns of the churches on the matter.

We’ll have more from the pastors later on. The Bills will be debated in the House after the conclusion of the Budget Debate.

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