Caye Caulker Eyes Regulated Cannabis Industry to Boost Health and Economy

The island of Caye Caulker is leading Belize’s conversation on cannabis legalisation, with village councillor Ilya Rosado pushing for a fully regulated industry that prioritises medicinal use and economic growth. Doctors, government officials, and advocates are backing the proposal, highlighting its potential to improve public health, attract tourists, and create jobs.

Rosado outlined the draft plan, saying, “What we’ve created is a draft proposal to be presented to the government, and we’ve included a few things that I will briefly summarise. So these include, of course, the different types of licences, which include cultivation licences, processing, private brand licensing, dispensaries, which are, of course, points of sale, delivery licences, and what I think is one of the most important for myself and for my community, which is the medicinal aspect, and so, medicinal licences for pharmacies and people who want to conduct research.”

Medical professionals are enthusiastic about the benefits of cannabis for health. Neurologist Dr Joel Cervantes said, “As a doctor and as a scientist, I can say that there is a place for medical cannabis in Belize. We’re not the first country that’s going to go in this direction… We are at a disservice to ourselves if we don’t join this bandwagon, but it has to be done in a very regulated way.” He said that cannabis can help patients with chronic pain, movement disorders, sleep issues, and seizures.

Supporters also point to economic opportunities. Minister of New Growth Industries Kareem Musa explained, “He [Rosado] has been consulting with his islanders, and they have concerns, and they want to see certain things in the legislation. That would mean the entire country continues with ten grams legally, but the island of Caye Caulker would have a cultivation facility, and it would have a dispensary, and it would have an area for restaurant licences. It would have regulations that would be solely for Caye Caulker, until we go national.”

Tourism could also benefit. Lorena Beltran, an international cannabis advocate, said, “We know that where cannabis has been legalised in different countries and cities, we see an increase in Colorado, where, after legalisation of cannabis, tourism increased by twenty-five percent. There was no place, no city, no nothing where tourism decreased after regulation it actually increased.”

The referendum takes place on Wednesday, October 8.