“Hope Not Dope” Campaign Marches in Caye Caulker Ahead of Weed Referendum

With just days to go before residents of Caye Caulker head to the polls on October 8 to decide whether marijuana should be legalised and regulated on the island, the “Hope Not Dope” campaign staged a march today, urging voters to reject the proposal.

The event drew church leaders, community members, and supporters of the “No” vote who expressed concerns about the social, health, and moral impacts of legalising cannabis.

Pastor Paul Ajaero of the Redeem Christian Church of God voiced deep concern about the potential fallout if legalisation passes. “They want to legalise marijuana here in Caye Caulker, and I’d like you to know that the church is against that,” Pastor Ajaero said. “The rate at which the youths are having mental instability is really alarming. Anyone who does not have a conscience will not feel this. So how on earth should we open our eyes and let this go by? Legalisation … is going to put this country backward.”

He also warned that legalisation could deter missionaries from visiting the island, noting that Caye Caulker has long been a retreat for church groups from Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Church Senator Louis Wade said that while the campaign was born locally, the church stepped in after residents raised concerns about obstacles in organising for the referendum. “The campaign has always been locally led, homegrown,” Wade explained. “We were told that the Elections and Boundaries [Commission] was giving them problems to get the list of voters. …Any referendum in the future must be free and must have a process through which communities can organise.”

Despite these challenges, Wade said he was inspired by local resistance to marijuana legalisation: “Before a single printed banner reached this island, there were at least six or seven hand-painted, handcrafted banners that were out saying no. I fully respect this community for standing up against marijuana legalisation.”

Pastor Scott Stirm, Vice President of the National Evangelical Association of Belize, echoed the sentiment that opposition to marijuana is driven by island residents themselves. “We were contacted by some of the people out here in Caye Caulker to help them mobilise,” he said. “We just help join the effort … but from boots on the ground, the majority of the people here in Keka don’t want this.”