BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – TEAM UNITY Leader the Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris is calling Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas’ recent comments about the debate on the decriminalisation/legalisation of marijuana a bluff and suggested that he is using it as a political gimmick.
Only recently, Prime Minister Douglas told the nation that the “the matter of the decriminalisation of marijuana is very high up on the card of policy matters that are being discussed by the Labour Administration”
This particular discussion has been making its rounds over the past years but more so recently, especially with several countries across the world including countries in the Caribbean, passing laws to decriminalise the use of marijuana whether for medicinal or recreational usage.
While speaking with this publication, Dr. Harris said he agrees that there needs to be some discussion concerning the issue but he believes it is being used by the Prime Minister to score political points, because he has indicated “in private” that he is not for the decriminalisation argument.
“If you go back a couple years, perhaps to the last election, this is just an election gimmick that Dr. Douglas is using. Dr. Douglas hasn’t seriously given thought to that matter. Dr. Douglas finds himself losing an election and, wherever he thinks he can succeed in fooling people in giving support on some false dream, he would do that.
“So this notion about legalising marijuana, Dr. Douglas has said repeatedly in private that he was not in favour of that. So I am amazed that he would take a completely different public position. And it tells me he is going down that dangerous, mischievous path of vote-buying by selling false dreams, and it is dangerous for the people and dangerous for the country when a leader has no moral minimum.”
Having held the position of Prime Minister since 1995, Dr. Harris expressed that Dr. Douglas has had ample opportunity to advance the move whether towards discussion or decriminalisation.
“So I am not surprised! We should expect other outlandish deals and people must ask themselves, ‘Well, what took him 20 years to come to that conclusion?’ It is not that he wanted to go into government; he had government for the last 20 years and if he was seriously committed to that view he would have long done something about it. So that is just a high dream he is pursing in the vain hope that it will score him some goals.”
Asked of his views on the matter, Dr. Harris said decriminalisation is not something he would rush into given the complexities involved, including possible ramifications on socioeconomic development and international relationships and the concerns and views of key stakeholders.
“And when we would have completed a healthy conversation and be fully well aware of where the negatives and possible positives are, then we make an informed decision. So it is not something I would rush into. I would say there are issues as a society develops, which from time to time leaders of the country have to become engaged in to a make a decision.
“Some of those decisions are not decisions that you can make overnight, but they are decisions that should be arrived at with respect to consultation. And I believe the issue of legalisation of marijuana, having regard to all the important consequences,…no government alone and no political party should arrogate unto themselves to bring closure to such a matter without bringing together all the stakeholders.”
