Cannabis in Belize

The use of cannabis in Belize is common and largely tolerated; however, possession can result in fines or imprisonment.^[1] Possession or use of 10 grams or less on private premises was decriminalized in November 2017.

History

Until the 1980s, Belize was the fourth-largest exporter of cannabis to the United States, behind Colombia, Mexico, and Jamaica. Since the mid-1980s, Belize's production has dropped dramatically due to eradication efforts by the Belizean government, supported by the United States. By 1994, Belizean production was at "negligible levels."^[2]

Use

According to a 2016 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime approximately 8.5% of all Belizeans use cannabis. Belize was ranked 18th out of all countries in prevalence of cannabis use, higher than both the Netherlands and Jamaica.^[3]

Decriminalization

In 2012, the Government of Belize announced that it was considering decriminalizing possession of small amounts of cannabis.^[4] The US State department claims that "Through the first 10 months of 2014, Belizean authorities eradicated over 100,000 cannabis plants".^[5] On October 20, 2017, the House of Representatives passed an amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Act decriminalizing possession or use of 10 grams or less on private premises.^[6] The bill was signed into law in early November by the Governor General,^[7] despite objections from the National Evangelical Association of Belize.^[8]

Legalization

Although legalization of cannabis has never been officially considered by the government, some prominent public figures in Belize have supported the idea. In 2017, the Leader of the Opposition, John Briceño, stated, "It is time for us to stop locking up our young people for a stick of weed. The time has come for us to decriminalize marijuana smoking and prepare the necessary research to move to legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes and in small quantities."^[9]

In a 2017 op-ed, former Senator Lisa Shoman stated, "There is no rational excuse to refuse to move past decriminalization to legalization of personal use amounts for adults."^[10] In 2024, it was reported that the Ministry of New Growth Industries was assessing the prospect of cannabis legalization.^[11]

Tourism

In 2016, an American tourist off a cruise ship was arrested for purchasing 1.8 grams of cannabis in Belize City. Her charges were dismissed, with the judge noting the cannabis was sold openly to her and she appeared to believe it was legal, and she was cautioned against ever possessing drugs in Belize again.^[12]

References

1. Hubbard, Kirsten. "Drug Laws and Penalties in Central America". About.com. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
2. Humberto Garcia Muniz; Jorge RodrIguez Beruff (27 July 2016). Security Problems and Policies in the Post-Cold War Caribbean. Springer. pp. 182–. ISBN 978-1-349-24493-5.
3. "Belize weighs in on world weed list". Breaking Belize News. 2 December 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
4. "Decriminalization of Marijuana" (PDF). Government of Belize. 16 July 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
5. "Belize Decriminalization". June 9, 2015.
6. "Marijuana Decriminalization Legislation Passed By House". 7 News Belize. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
7. "Weedmaps News - the Latest Marijuana & Cannabis News Today".
8. "The Guardian Newspaper | News".
9. "Caye Caulker group says decriminalizing marijuana will improve the economy". The San Pedro Sun. 29 April 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
10. Shoman, Lisa (20 April 2017). "Marijuana - Time to legalize it!". Breaking Belize News. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
11. "Belize Revisits Legalization of Marijuana, Citing Potential Economic Benefits". Love FM Belize News & Music Power. 2024-10-31. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
12. "Court Says Cruise Visitor's Cannabis Cool". 7 News Belize. 2016-04-19. Retrieved 2017-02-11.