Both the cigarettes and alcohol industry has been on a decline for years. Yet someone around the world dies from a (cigarette) smoking disease every 6 seconds. So these industries are more and more aggressively trying to recruit customers. They targeted areas like India and Thailand where advertising rules are less stringent and population is dense. The commercialization of marijuana will create new problems, so governments must be strict in their regulations.

Can you imagine being declared the winners of a parade and having the decision overturned weeks later? And they touted electronic scoring saying it will reduce the chances of this happening. But is is happening much to frequently to not question the credibility of those in charge of the judging process.

This was America’s way of getting thousands of young, Black men in jail. Locking them up for possession of small amounts of marijuana or even conspiracy to possess. And many young men were used in experiments in jails to develop more powerful drugs and even to turn them into violent predators, who will eventually kill. And so Minnis and every government must tread carefully. Yes persons in jail for small amounts of grass should be released and eventually have their criminal records for marijuana possession expunged, but government should not appear to be giving persons Carte Blanche to go smoke until their eyes fall out. There has to be strict regulation, even if government decides to legalize possession of small amounts of it. There must be educational programs and rehabilitation efforts must be strengthened. And persons who constantly abuse the laws or their new freedoms must be aware that they can find themselves back behind bars and with less sympathy this time.

whats to be expected when the largest construction in the country is being done almost exclusively of Bahamians. And yes the FNM's economic environment is not only unfriendly but toxic to Bahamian businesses. Expect to see many retail businesses close over the next several months as sales are down by as much as 40%. And this 'pay for a bag', fiasco is not helping the situation. It seems so stupid to walk into a jewelry store and spend $400 for a watch and they want to charge you 25 cents for a bag. Or go to an eatery and give your food unpackaged. Was this ever the intention to the law banning single-use plastic bags?

The fact is the details about the large portion of the pledges/donations being a loan did not surface until later

It is the PM's own silly (and unusual behavior) that led the public to respond the way it did. it was the PM and his entourage that went dancing through the streets of the country claiming they had raised $1.5 Billion in donations. And in the middle of the celebrations of sorts, and even before the PM could catch he won breadth, he dropped the bombshell, "O but the largest portion of the pledge, $950 Million, was in the form of a loan offer, that the government has not yet decided to accept. So silly as Silly does.
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P“**Being silly is still allowed, not excluded by adulthood. What's excluded by adulthood is thoughtlessness, so be thoughtful and silly”
― Hank Green**

Many businesses are unclear about the law. The assumption is that these items cannot be imported after January 1st and can be used until July 1st when the total ban comes into effect.

Smoke and marijuana... I mean mirrors.

Let them go right on and do it. And hurry up! Minnis dem done send all the retail business to Florida when they raised the VAT and increased the exemption for Bahamians who travel. So it won’t be no big deal to nail another bid rusty nail in the coffins of small and medium businesses. Even the biggest of idiots knows that the more you increase the cost of businesses the more you simultaneously raise the cost of living. Allow the economy to adjust itself and find its own equilibrium before moving the goal post and causing more hardship. The problem with unionists is they never consider the long term effects of their demands

Ainn no place like home.