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'People are very excited about marijuana' industry- Hon Natalio D. Wheatley
'The people in the community are very very excited about the marijuana... I'm sure there are some persons who need some more information about it, and perhaps they are a little uncomfortable... because they don't understand it," he said noting that land, staff and other areas of development have already been identified for the cultivation.
Public consultations soon
"Our immediate attention is towards establishing the marijuana industry and persons can expect, very soon... in next few weeks that we will be engaging the public on the marijuana issue," he said on the Tuesday, February 11, 2020, edition of Honestly Speaking.
Hon Wheatley said the legislation will then go to a forum where persons will be able to give their feedback and the necessary adjustments will be made ahead of the bill going to the House of Assembly (HoA).
"Right now, legislation is being drafted, that's something that's imminent, that's something that's happening with immediacy. We made a firm decision that's the direction that we're going [and] we are going to go and consult with the public and allow them the opportunity to take a look at this legislation and see," Hon Wheatley said.
Industry expert will train locals- Hon Wheatley
With land in Paraquita Bay already identified for the planting of Marijuana, the Minister noted that an industry expert will be coming in to train locals.
"All the inputs will be provided by a marijuana farmer who operates in several states in the United States, as well as in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
"He's going to set up the farmers, show them exactly how to do this thing," Hon Wheatley said, adding that the product would be for export, which means there would be certain specifications to be met.
The Agriculture Minister said the aim is to export marijuana and generate funds for the Territory; however, despite some planting seeds of doubt around the VI's ability to market and sell its yields, there are plenty of markets available.
Bright future for marijuana industry?
The US marijuana industry is worth billions of dollars, and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Ten US states have legalised recreational marijuana use, and 33 have legalised medicinal use.
According to Market Insider in May 2019, Marijuana Business Factbook estimates the legal-marijuana industry's economic impact in the US was between $20 billion and $23 billion in 2017. It estimates the economic impact could reach as high as $77 billion by 2022.
Another study estimated the marijuana industry in the US would grow to at least 330,000 jobs by 2022, a higher number than the 268,000 employees at US steel and iron mills.
Investors poured more than $10 billion into the North American marijuana industry in 2018, according to the Associated Press. That's twice the total amount invested in the previous three years.
The Virgin Islands is now seeking ‘a draw’ from the booming marijuana industry.
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23 Responses to “'People are very excited about marijuana' industry- Hon Natalio D. Wheatley”
People stop with your bad mind tactics. Asking all them questions. The minister said and I quote
"we are going to go and consult with the public and allow them the opportunity to take a look at this legislation"
Minister.... DONT STOP AT ALL.
Hon Natalio D. Wheatley is a roots man with a mind focused on the interest of the people. We couldnt ask for a better representative in the areas of Agriculture, Youth affairs and Education.
Turn Crafts into a music and food market with weed as a legal product. I bet you every Craft's vendor will make a profit.
#1 its not physically addictive.
#2 oooo mind altering effects scary. Let us stick to alcohol as it is totally not mind altering, totally healthy, causes people to behave as saints and never do things they would not normally do.
This is what prohibition was built upon. Stereotypical lies and fear mongering that became more and more sophisticated by necessity. Illusions and fear of illusions, free your mind from this mental slavery.
Offering the negative effects of another substance that also has the ability to alter the chemical breakdowns in brain does not denounce the equal facts of the negative effects of weed on the brain.
you don't fight an argument by comparing something against another and saying the other thing is worst so whats the problem?
you must consider that both can be harmful and work from there...do not be ignorant.
i know its confusing for you.
- how will we bank the money?
- In which bank?
- We spend the US dollar. Which correspondent bank at the Federal level, where this plant is still criminalized will accept the proceeds of what is still a crime at the federal level of the US?
- We plan to have our own currency? what's it going to be worth?
- We have engaged with the US on this initiative? we ask them what they require for this not to be considered money laundering? - Because it is not enough that we decriminalize the growing and possession of this plant, do some research, it is only at "some state" levels that the plant has been decriminalized in the US. alot of US farmers cannot bank the money because the banks will not accept it if they depend on a federal licence to do business.
- what is it we are really doing here?
- how are we jumping into this thing without a thought about what the logistics and practicalities of this initiative really require?
- by the way how will you protect it, the farmland and the farmers?
- why aren't we growing food as one blogger said? we need food! have you had a look at the growing economic fall out of what the conoravirus is doing to the world? a large quantity of the manufacturing/producing of food and otherwise come out of China, but guess what People are home! so nobody is manufacturing and producing anything! so that means nobody is exporting or importing, which means things are getting scarce!
- how are we addressing that? Have we already started considering this in terms of our economic survival? business continuity?
- growing weed, is the least of what we need to be doing. Its the least of our problems!
- weed what?! weed when?!