CHRISTIAN DAILY: At a meeting with Prime Minister Gaston Browne, The Antigua Barbuda Evangelical Alliance (ABEA) has voiced deep unease about cannabis drug users disrespecting sacred spaces on the sovereign island nation.
The House of Representatives approved decriminalizing marijuana in the Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill on Feb. 6 2018. The drug had been previously made illegal under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1973, signed by British Governor Wilfred Jacobs.
However, representatives of ABEA met with Prime Minister Gaston Browne on Friday (June 7) to express frustrations about people smoking the powerful herb in public on the islands, including at sites and during events considered sacred to the Christian faith, according to Pointville Communications Inc.
Concerns were particularly expressed about users smoking marijuana in and around church buildings and cemeteries during funerals.
Those present from the ABEA included President Olson Daniel; executive member, The Rev. Christopher Weekes; public relations officer, The Rev. Fitzgerald Semper; and Clovis St Romain, the general secretary. Stay informed with The Christian Daily NewsletterSIGN UP
“We asked the government to undertake a programme of education to inform the public that marijuana use in public places is not legal,” Semper reportedly said after the meeting.
“[PM Browne] said there are those who mis-interpret the decriminalization of marijuana as permission to smoke openly in public and the Christian leaders are concerned about the message this is sending especially to the younger more impressionable members of society.”
Semper told the prime minister that a pastor known to him personally had found a man attending his church service holding a marijuana spliff in his hand. The pastor believed this was disrespectful to the church meeting happening at the time.
The evangelical alliance requested that local media on television and radio be deployed in public service announcements to promote the message that smoking cannabis publicly is not allowed.
Browne has supported the overturning of the laws on cannabis in part to give followers of the Rastafari religion sacramental rights to use ganja, or wisdom weed, as cannabis is variously called in the community, within religious rites in meditation.
The prime minister has been keen to build relations with the Rastafari community, whom he sees as having suffered oppression under the British for many years, because the drug was formerly illegal. Antigua and Barbuda achieved independence in 1981.
The Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council previously reported a statement given by PM Browne on the passing of the laws for marijuana, which included for medical use. Individuals are allowed to possess 15g of cannabis for personal use and four plants are allowed per household “to take the criminal element out of cannabis production.”
“The use of marijuana is now socially acceptable,” said Browne at the time. “It is, in essence, a part of the culture of the country. I want to make it abundantly clear that my government is not advocating the use of cannabis; we are against anything that is smoked.
“We do accept, though, on the other hand, that marijuana utilized in different forms has significant medicinal benefits and certainly we’ll move pretty quickly to ensure that we legalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.”
On Saturday (June 8), Browne emphasized his public support of both respecting church sanctuaries and also users of cannabis within legal limits on the Browne and Browne radio show for Pointe FM 99.1. He stressed that smoking cannabis is banned in public but allowed in homes.
On the programme, where Browne acknowledged issues affecting Antiguans such as cruise ships dumping waste, he reminded listeners of the importance of respecting each other’s ethical values.
“Even on the whole issue in terms of respecting people’s space,” said Browne on the radio show, “I had a group of a few pastors last week who were very concerned that some of our youngsters continue to go into church sanctuaries with spliffs, and when you get to that level you are taking it too far.”
The prime minister elaborated on the fact marijuana is allowed in contexts in the form of medicine for ailments or in the privacy of homes, but it has not been legalized for public recreational purposes, if nothing else due to the threat posed by sanctions against the country if it did not meet international obligations.
“You have to respect people’s values,” continued Browne on the radio show, “and whereas many of us are very tolerant and open to the use of marijuana, there are some who are offended and if within a sanctuary they insist there is to be no marijuana use, or use of a cigarette, you have to respect the church. So I have an obligation to remind our people that the use of cigarettes or marijuana or any form of smoking in public is prohibited by law.
“Even when we go to funerals we see a number of our citizens smoking openly, as though it is permissible by law. We have decriminalized the use of marijuana and we expect people to use it for personal enjoyment in the comfort of their homes but not everyone is comfortable with inhaling secondary smoke through marijuana or cigarettes.”
The prime minister underlined that the message of no smoking in public must also be obeyed for those using tobacco. He also called on respect for church institutions: “As we evolve as a people, we have to become more respectful of the values of certain institutions.”
Browne’s comment about public smoking of cannabis appears to contradict earlier comments he made two years ago at a ‘Grow Antigua Barbuda Cannabis License Ceremony’ televised address, that was recorded by ABS TV Antigua.
Speaking to the Rastafari community about the licensing of cannabis, he seemingly encouraged the Rastafarians to smoke ganja in public.
“This is really a great day and I am so happy for Rastafari, to see that Rastafari has been mainstreamed,” Browne said in the videoed event.
“You don’t have to worry about police, or Babylon coming to chase you for a spliff. You can smoke your spliff in public if you wish, even though technically we don’t want to encourage that, but nobody trouble you, and generally you can carry your 15 gramme and nobody troubling you. That is how empowering my administration is.”
During this previous address, Browne went on to criticize European and American nations for previously criminalizing some young people and others for smoking marijuana, but now “they have done a flip”, he said and were looking to cultivate and produce marijuana and related products for profit.
“We have to make sure we get ahead of the curve and generate a sustaining and profitable industry,” he said at the event.
Rastafari is an Africa-focused religion, which began after Haile Selassie I became King of Ethiopia in 1930. Followers believe Selassie is God and he will reunite descendants of African slaves with the originating country on the African continent. Ganja smoking is seen by adherents to be an essential part of their devotions, to support their sense of spirituality.
Operation World (OW), an evangelical ministry that examines statistics related to Christianity and issues prayer guides, states on its website that almost all Antiguans are Christian “by background”, including a large proportion of evangelicals. They encourage prayer “for revival that galvanizes Christians to prayer, and for involvement that impacts their society.”
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Best they tackle the rum shops and the drug stores as well. You cannot infringe on the rights of other people plus marijuana is a plant.
Wait! I don’t think is teeny bops smoking at these places!!! I think they are old enough to know right from wrong! They have no respect! Really sad!
They were given a quantity to be legal what you expected from that.smoke any where
@Ricky Tiki tavi…. So because “marijuana is a plant” you can smoke it anywhere? This is the kind of thinking that is the enemy of our country. People need to respect the fact that your right to do something MUST NOT infringe on another person’s right.
The Churches are saying that the DO NOT want people smoking in their space, and it is their RIGHT to do so. If you want to smoke, do so in the privacy of your home where your smoke is not affecting anyone.
The real problem here is that the police are NOT doing their job. The law decriminalizes a person having a certain amount of weed in their possession. However, the law DOES NOT give permission for anyone to publicly smoke weed. The police need to be held accountable for not arresting those persons who are smoking weed in public. The police commissioner should be censured for not holding his officers accountable.
I totally agree 💯…..we must restpect them, Which I understand, but they don’t respect us…..if I know u don’t smoke I ain’t gonna smoke around u cause I don’t know about your health but my self…….but don’t see me smoking on the other side away from and holding a meds by self and still complain…..🤦🏽…..they might as well get rid of all alcohol for true
What Christians? We have Christians in Antigua? We have hypocrites masquerading as Christians. When you go to church on Saturday or Sunday look around from the altar to the back of the church and honestly assess how many Christians you see. How many, if any, live by the good book and the values as taught by Jesus?
We elected people to lead our country via the ballot box. No one has give permission for this so-called group of Christians to speak on our behalf.
Why don’t these churches talk about all those pastors that is in the churches that is molesting children???so many pastors is antigua this is molesting both underage girls and boys and we’re worried about smoke……….
Are these people suddenly seeking relevance? They are all part and parcel of this corrupt administration. What makes these edifices,”sacred?” Because they say so?
They were silent for four years ago when people were suffering and crying out under oppression. I don’t condone people smoking anywhere in public, but I do not support these religious organizations either.
Christians please take your concerns to the POLICE. There are laws in place that address your concerns. Laws are enforce by the police not the PRIME MINISTER. Are you saying that the police only act when directed by the Prime Minister?
The amended ‘laws’ which were rush ed through by the ABLP Government’s pertaining, to the HEMP INDUSTRY are seriously flawed.
These ‘laws’ and those surrounding SMOKING IN PUBLIC (regardless of what is being smoked), MUST be seriously addressed simultaneously with those surrounding, the HEMP INDUSTRY.
Jumbee_Picknee aka Ras Smood
De’ole Dutty Peg🦶🏿Garrat_Bastard
Vere C. Edwards
So what if their voice to deep ? The prime minister should not be smoking marijuana on ANY public grounds let alone a CHURCH. That is outright disrespectfulness honestly it is pappyshow business.
tell your pastors stop having sex with the women and men of the congregation!!
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