Medical marijuana laws are for State control of a simple herb that anyone can grow, and self administer. Now what kind of government would encourage you to decide what is best for yourself?

Forget just medical use, lets get on with legalizing and taxing it. We can make some money from marijuana instead of spending incredible amounts on police, courts, and jails. Police can use the time and resources to catch violent criminals. Legalizing it mean that gangs no longer have control over the market weakening them. Lets get on with it. The rest of the world is moving in this direction. Are we going to lead or follow?

We can only move as fast as the slowest politician. I'm all for personal ability to grow, use and sell. Taxes are excuses for government to keep spending money we don't need to spend.

Even if it's not taxed, right now it's costing us tens of millions. We need to stop spending money on it.

And our slowest politicians are basically standing still. So I don't have much faith that anything will actually change.

Couldn't agree more. According to the discussions 'they' are having, we are moving towards, still, a controlled substance, unfortunately.

can we also legalize money laundering now that we are at it?

You'd rather government thieving from its people? Good, you pay their increased payrolls come VAT season while we opt out.

Money laundering is allowed in Vegas in the form of incorporated nonsense.
There's a whole lot more money in whatever gov has been laundering who's licenses and incorporations would provide more funds than weed. They're not giving up from their kitty.

As usual we shall wait until the last moment to make moves on something that could clearly be a good financial move for the Bahamas. By the time we get moving the market will be saturated and we would have limited our initial money making ability.

While the Comrade Minister and his cabinet colleagues debate, the policeman's will continue to bring their fellow citizens before the courts of "criminal injustice" where too many will be riding the speeding prisoners bus to be on their way to occupy a cell behind the guarded barbed wired walls at Her Majesty's Fox Hill Prison. Following serving their marijuana conviction jail term, they will forever be tainted with having to explain their "criminal conviction record. Let us pray together as Comrades that their time in jail will not detour them from collecting paychecks, maybe becoming a school principal or fulfilling Christ's calling, in their new role as pastor of they's own church?

Amen and Amen!

Confused... Are you saying it's a bad thing if someone who is/was an offender during marijuana prohibition? They could not be a decent human, able to teach or lead? (We are not talking about sex offenders and murderers btw. Different kinds of folks!)

Now I know this government has lost its damn mind. They just go from one thing to the other without careful consideration to how it would adversely affect this country. All they need to do is drive around this town and see the countless amount of young men suffering from drug induced psychosis.

With such stereotypical comment, you would think there are no older men or females suffering from "drug induced psychosis". Reminds me of here in the USA, amazing how even in a country where the majority of the population is of African decent, it's so convenient to place the blame on those young black men. How about Alcohol induced psychosis? How about Prescription pills induced psychosis, How about Unhealthy eating/GMO/Fast food induced psychosis? With such 'do nothing' about it mentality and just 'pray' about it is why crime is so high in our Bahamaland. Those young men 'suffering' from drug induced psychosis from using MJ (if that's what they are using and not molly or stichie) are much better than that Rat Bat in your cabinet. Do your research.

If you were able to do research you would have presented something. Typical weed smoker rant, all defensive agression and no sense to what they're saying. BTW you don't live here so you don't know that unhealthy food is not our problem, prescription pills is not our problem ( of which americans now prefer bc of weed being the gateway), genetically modified food is not our problem. Lethargy, aggression, and escalating petty crime is our problem, all only enhanced with weed abuse, of which there is little support for anyone's psychosis. Older men have a choice to drug induce themselves into stupidity, young must try to get a life first. So because we're majority black we should all be Bob Marley? He died of cancer really young by the way, the first case where doctors noticed cancer spreads. Didn't even have a chance, dropped dead running in central park, and weed does affect your heart rate. You just tried to support your point with the fact that an even broader demographic is affected....... Come off the stuff .

Respectfully, I DO NOT smoke cannabis, I am a college graduate and I am currently in the process of getting my Masters Degree. IMHO There is a difference between those who enjoy cannabis and 'dopeheads', just like there is a difference between casual drinkers and alcoholics. I work, I support my family, My kids are all 'A' students, and I visit Our Bahamaland quite frequently to know what's going on. Bob Marley DID NOT died of cancer (but to those indoctrinated by reefer madness it does sound convenient, just read the now released FBI files). I have a sound mind, fully functioning limbs, obviously internet access so I am 'able' to do research, and for all these gifts and abilities I am however grateful. Weed 'affect' your heart rate, yes, so does, watching a scary movie, also sex which I love and enjoy only with my wife on a regular basis. There are many pharmaceuticals that we're told is good for humans but the side affects are worse eg. Chemotherapy, and my favorite drug to those who are mentally unstable or suffering from depression and oppose Cannabis treatment (yes I did say treatment, it's a medical proven fact) Prosaic.
In conclusion, I must admit, I enjoy talking to my fellow Bahamians especially the PROGRESSIVE Bahamians, PLP, FNM, DNA does not matter, those who dare to put their 'neck on the line', those who think outside of the box to try come up with unorthodox methods to try fix our vexing problems in our Bahamaland. Am not here to fight. Divide and rule I will not fall for it, I love ALL my fellow brothers and sisters even those whom we don't always agree on certain issues, however, all of us can agree we are facing a crisis in the Bahamas and we need new solutions to fix them. It's convenient to look at the problem and not what caused the problem, education, disenfranchisement, the 'war' on drugs etc, as a fellow human who love freedom, I will defend 'Smokey' right like any other. When our ideology turns us against those who don't act like us, look like us, live like us, speak like us we are no better than our oppressors and former 'Masters'. Any additional life that's lost because of the residual effect of the "war on drugs" and prohibition is a life too many. In some African countries, because of 'tradition', fear and ideology many mutilate daughters by cutting off their clitoris, in many Islamic countries, grown men blow up schools and gun down young girls trying to get an education, they are part of the human race just like any Bahamian, American, Canadian, Haitian, Jamaician, what make us 'different' IMHO is EDUCATION & IDEOLOGY.

I think that this must be a necessary step in order to decrease the level of importation of drugs (marijuana) along with its more serious counterpart, guns!They should also consider this being
an additive tax that will improve the Bahamas' economic situation as it can be directly taxed. Also less money would be invested outside of the country by drug dealers seeking to purchase
these drugs for importation. Overall, more money for the Bahamas.

Or wait til America doesn't like us supplying to their pawns and sues us in WTO. Hun do you live here? Bahamian dealers don't import weed, Freeport has a designated side that grows it. They grow and transfer for others passing theirs through, not buy from others. Pls don't tell me you're getting in the biz cus that would be stupid expense and more chances of getting caught. See what I mean, will always be the duffle bag boy.

Why are so many OK with taxes? What is government doing for you today? Last week? Last year? What do you think they will do with tax money collected from sales of ANYTHING? Give themselves raises, spend more... Come on, stop thinking you NEED government to enrich your lives.

I speak for myself when I say I am not okay with taxes, however what is the alternative. For the drug dealers to get richer selling the illegal substance. Why? When it can be regulated and the money allotted from the improvement of the family islands.

It's the same with a national lottery, only persons benefiting right now if Flowers (Everybody Wins), Sebas (Island Luck), and the other miscellaneous number shop owners.

Why not regulate these things and allocate the money for various family island improvements? How many outer island need upgraded emergency facilities, schools, utilities etc. The money that could be generated would go a long way towards improving the overall economy.

But as usual Bahamians are focused on the wrong things...how about starting to move with the times and actually holding these politicians responsible. They would be hard press to embezzle the good people's money if more Bahamians held up a magnifying glass to the right things.

Totally agree with your points. Sure, once we have a system that is uncorrupted, I'd be open to giving them more money. At the moment we have plenty hands in the cookie jar and moving back and forth with the same people "in charge" from one election to the next... Just legalize it, let the free market rule. More money in Bahamian's pocket instead of government's. Governments do less for the individual than the individual can do for himself.

Get lost PLP & FNM.....Always reinventing the wheel

Something else to think about - something else to muddy the waters... Did I hear no taxes for webshop owners till the end of the year? But VAT still set for July. Something wrong with this whole picture! And someone who committed manslaughter & has served his sentences is not fit to be a headmaster but a convicted preacher can start his own church. Beginning to think we're living in La-la land instead of Bahamaland!!

well, agree with you on booze, not so sure about weed. it impacts brain growth in adolescents and can trigger psychotic reactions. never a good idea to use drugs to justify another one. I believe it makes sense to allow people to consume weed, but there must be legal limits. I will not allow a worker to be smoked up at work, not to speak of operating machinery.

Have you ever tried managing a place where workers burn on every single break? Not very productive. Have you had pot head students graduate above low C average. How'd you as a person get so inexperienced, maybe it was the weed.

...I guess it is one way to get Bahamians back into labouring in the fields and farming!! LOL

What's wrong with labouring in the fields and farming? It's an honest day of work and it pays a person so they can feed themselves and their family and not look for a handout from the government, or go out and rob the people who are working hard for what they have.

Bahamians always looking down on certain jobs...if it pays to clean toilets, scrape gum off someone shoes, or farm a piece of land then dang it stop looking down your nose at it. That's part of why the crime rate is so high, people feel they are to good for certain jobs but they want to rob the people who are working.

Furthermore they farm land in other parts of the world and it benefits them tremendously. Hawaii as a lock on pineapples, Dominica has bananas and mango among other produce, Florida is still orange capital- nothing is wrong with working the land. IT'S HONEST WORK!!!!

Hey...I am all for farming, I think it is crazy the amount of produce we import into this country...also the fact that you are more likely to get a Hatian out in that field all day long instead of a Bahamian, because of this very stigma you brought up. From the early Pindling days, the Bahamian mind has been brainwashed into thinking you were 'better' than being stuck on a farm, you could do more with yourself than farming, that farming is akin to slavery under the white man, to this day, Bahamians will 'typically' shy away from the hard labour...and love...of a farm, it is a slow arduous process with a lot of back breaking work, that a lot of Bahamians just don't have the spine for, they would rather sit in their cushy government civil servant job protected by an insane union.

While my original statement was meant more of a 'joke' of sorts, it's actually a very sad reality...there is likely some very big money in marijuana farming, and from what I understand, the plants are quick to grow and easy to farm. Sure beats the heck out of picking cotton or pineapples!! I would TOTALLY LOVE to see the Bahamas as a SERIOUS farming nation...of general crops, not just the whacky kind. Sadly won't see it in my generation...or my children's generation if we are still on this planet.

Keep in mind now we did at one point attempt farming on a large basis for subsistence but due to our limestone terrain that was a big bust. But clearly we can grow marijuana (GO FIGURE), anyway truth is you are correct they probably won't get many Bahamians to work to help grow the plants. Thing is they don't necessarily need to be grown in a field, they can be cultivated in green houses. We have more than enough land on the family islands to facilitate a top of the line green house for growing these plants.

Furthermore the government can help by offering scholarships or tuition aid and a guaranteed job placement at the greenhouse once a person has completed a recognized programme in agriculture. So many opportunities can come from this. But as I keep saying and will always say- to many Bahamians have their heads in their butts worrying about the wrong things. These are the things that need to be brought up in public forums instead "niggas" worrying about reparations.

or we can all smoke weed all day and dream of a better government.

I know some very active, motivated, successful smokers. I can understand your cynicism as the propaganda against this plant has been very effective.

How many do you know because I went through high school and life knowing a lot and it was the same pitiful downturn for each. Unless they were using more than weed. Where's the proof on motivation? That's the number 1 find in regards to weed that it kills motivation. Hence it is Prescribed for no hope scenarios to put them out of their misery.

"So they can feed themselves" yet the farmer is growing weed instead of food. I don't think he was berating farming by the way ( if you weren't a smoker might have got that the first read), everyone here has gardens. Yet we are not talking about farmlands which we badly need more of, we are talking about $7 ( which you'll have to sell for less) sandwich baggy dope. Supplying the honey shortage would make us worlds more richer than that since other places lack bees. Everything else can also be cultivated in greenhouses and via lots of other techniques. Y'all aren't ready to sell nothing if you can't even start the conversation off with the latest techniques for growing. Maybe it's a global trick to get people to supply the food shortage since 1 in 7 Americans are starving and Venezuela is rationing as of last month, and the globe will run out of food by 2050 , fact.

well the phosphate from Morocco comes in handy now.

Listen, I live in the US, and work on the 14 floor of a sky scraper building, if I see a sustainable earning potential of growing MJ in my Bahamaland??? I'll pack the wife and kids and move back to the Bahamas in a heartbeat, yes, to work in those fields! It's more self rewarding than selling money for an interest rate.

14th floor skyscraper is a little closer to heaven, stand next to the window, all the high you need. ( Or move to colorado, or you would stay where you are and hire someone to kick it off instead of risking your family's welfare) . Insight: surge of clueless dealers moving in.

Hard to determine which government administration is worse?

PLP

or

FNM

so by the way, what is happening to BEC? and BPC? and the VAT? and WTO? Tax collection? Web shops?, hello Government? anybody home getting things done? obviously we are strong in the brain fart department and when it comes to legalizing illegal stuff since we cant enforce our laws.

This country is becoming a clone of the USA. How about focus on needs specific to the Bahamas and quit trying to be a cheap imitation of America. Embarrassing!

U are so right................ it was a time when we were free........... now we are slaves to the government and its gimmicks aka American dreams

not sure what an American dream is Sheeprunner. I prefer to dream on a Bahamian beach.

While it is true that many young men are receiving treatment for "drug induced psychosis" (DRUG abuse) DO YOU KNOW THAT ONE OF THE COMMON DRUGS "RISPERDONE" USED TO TREAT THESE PAITIENTS HAS MORE SIDE EFFECTS THAN DRUG ABUSE ITSELF. This drug is also used to treat children with AUTISM. ***IN addition to causing teen boys and young men to grow breasts and secrete milk*** here are other side effects caused by this drug sold under the brand name Risperdal:

Along with its needed effects, risperidone may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking risperidone:
**More common** •Aggressive behavior
•agitation
•anxiety
•changes in vision, including blurred vision
•decreased sexual desire or performance
•difficulty concentrating
•difficulty speaking or swallowing
•inability to move the eyes
•loss of balance control
•mask-like face
•memory problems
•menstrual changes
•muscle spasms of the face, neck, and back
•problems with urination or increase in the amount of urine
•restlessness or need to keep moving (severe)
•shuffling walk
•skin rash or itching
•stiffness or weakness of the arms or legs
•tic-like or twitching movements
•trembling and shaking of the fingers and hands
•trouble sleeping
•twisting body movements
**Less common** •Back pain
•chest pain
•speech or vision problems
•sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arms, or legs
•**unusual secretion of milk**((and growth of breasts in young males)
**Rare** •Confusion
•dizziness
•drowsiness
•extreme thirst
•fast, shallow breathing
•fast, weak heartbeat
•headache
•increased thirst
•lip smacking or puckering
•loss of appetite
•muscle cramps
•pale, clammy skin
•poor coordination
•prolonged, painful, inappropriate erection of the penis
•puffing of the cheeks
•rapid or worm-like movements of the tongue
•shivering
•talking, feeling, and acting with excitement and activity that cannot be controlled
•uncontrolled chewing movements
•uncontrolled twisting movements of neck, trunk, arms, or legs
•unusual bleeding or bruising
•unusual facial expressions or body positions

Some side effects of risperidone may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
More common

WHY ARE YOU BEING SO SCIENTIFIC??? LET'S JUST PRAY ABOUT IT!!(sarcasm off)

The problem with marijuana as an illegal and unregulated drug that is being abused is that there are many varieties on the market, some many times more potent than naturally grown 'weed'. Some genetically altered marijuana is so potent it can 'blow a user's head off after a few puffs." Therefore government must strongly distinguish between legalizing drugs for medicinal purposes and not allowing it for recreational use (drug Abuse)...though this distinction will not be as clear as apples and oranges another drug epidemic is not needed in this country..

Yea, I know what you mean, I was thinking the same about Kalik vs 151 proof. Prohibition WILL NOT work! you cannot regulate what someone can put in their own bodies! ESPECIALLY when it's easier for them can grow 'hydro' vs 'regular' weed by themselves!

LOL......"Genius Jackass's" in the Bahamas will debate another subject the rest of the free world have already concluded.

Why not debate space exploration and alien negotiation protocol while your at it?

Face it....The Bahamas is in L-A-S-T __ P-L-A-C-E for everything under the sun except lousy government, corruption and asinine political stupidity.

No wonder the IMF, S&P and Moody's declared Hubert Ingraham and Perry Christie the worst leaders in the region!

Undeniable world class Jackass's one and all.

I hope you feel the same about that cancerous cigarette smoke, oh, how's that power plant smoke and fossil fuel/carbon monoxide working out for ya? However, I would say MJ should not be smoked openly in public places any more than that 'Ciggy'.

That's why there's smoker rooms, that's why we don't need more shit we can't regulate when islands lost their clean water supply, radioactive cars are coming in cleared from Japan, and more. MJ don't stay in closed rooms.

once the govt taxes it and will generate cash they will become the greatest supporter and peddlers of the product

Medical Marijuana no longer needs to be smoked. Methods have been developed to extract oils and other beneficial ingredients from the marijuana plant and convert them into medicine, so there is no longer a need for a 'patient' to be walking around with a big joint down his throat.

I AM SO PROUD OF THIS COMMENT I HAVE TO CUT AND PASTE!

Medical Marijuana no longer needs to be smoked. Methods have been developed to extract oils and other beneficial ingredients from the marijuana plant and convert them into medicine, so there is no longer a need for a 'patient' to be walking around with a big joint down his throat.

THIS IS THE 21st CENTURY FOLKS! REEFER MADNESS BE DAMNED!!

You're so proud of this comment bc YOU ARE CLUELESS. You didn't know that a few posts ago. Ever heard of weed brownies, weed soda, weed popcorn, weed chocolate bars, weed hooka, weed whatever you think of ?.. Try keeping that out of kids hands, try competing by making all of that here. Even if it was legal (which it is where you live), you're not up to par, stay home.

Reality check comparison.....

U.S. ..... Colorado hotel opens ganja & breakfast hotel...

http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/denver-hos…

Bahamas ..... Well known failures and jackass's.....

Will debate marijuana, redefine nothing and miss another profitable opportunity...Dead last, broke and lost again!

**THIS IS DEFINITELY THE LAST DAYS......... COMBINE INTERNET, LGBT AND DOPE AND WHAT YOU GAT????????????? DEBAUCHERY**

WE ALL GUILTY AS CHARGED OR ACCESORIES TO CRIME..... YALL STAND UP!!!!!!!!!

Wouldn't have to consider legalizing it if IMF and WTO weren't taking away our duty and forcing money to come from ridiculous outlets. This isn't about medical or protecting people or anything other than government trying to get more money and the PLP have always been notorious for their drug dealing.

Even crack users excel better in life than pot heads. Everyone has a different reaction, the majority gets lousy as hell and easily aggressive. I've seen real geniuses waste away whilst their crack counterparts get to wallstreet. Docile doses for docile people isn't going to spark any innovation. It isn't going to heal anything, just make you not give a shit about the illness. Drugs affects poor areas differently than people who are accustomed to moderating themselves, and need to because they have important obligations. This will be dumbing down persons who have to use everything they've got to strive in minimal opportunity. It will be exactly what gov needs to weaken the attitude of average joe to be the sweatshop workers and retail workers for big foreign stores.

How are they going to police the mixtures dealers put in it to get you hooked and buyers for more expensive drugs? What about when tourist end up dead from those mixes.

Ain't no smoker being harassed, no need to invite the public. You can't sell to the US legally anyway. It sells for chump dollars plus the market prefers to abuse prescription pills. Illegal numbers boys, the world worst drug dealers, naked carnival girls , THAT'S WHAT THIS GOVERNMENT OFFERS TO SELL FOR OUR IMPROVEMENTS???!!!??? SEE WHAT YOU HAVE GOT!

So damn dumb about farming we'd always be the bottom sellers killing each other even more instead doing anything business savvy. Learn to grow fucking food so we can eat. The world is in short supply.

Name a GREAT person in history that was a weed smoker. Who created something from start to finish , invented something, is respectable, that doesn't look steamrollered, that lived long, that felt it benefitted them so much or improved their quality of life so much that they testified about it, that weren't pitiful bitches before they got into it, that's genuinely happy when they use it and not just laxed or silly or have to be high to think clearly.

who doesn't worship the devil and who's voice doesn't sound like hell.

Food prices are going up and they're making it from random species , weed prices are going down and it's too competitive to concoct your own flavor.

Think a step ahead of the trend. GROW FOOD. EXPORT FOOD.