Belize House Votes to Decriminalize Marijuana
The Belize House of Representatives has approved a measure to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana.
The Belize flag.
The approved legislation would remove criminal penalties for possession of up to 10 grams of marijuana throughout all of Belize (the exception is if possession occurs on the premises of a school or other educational institution).
“I think this act will also allow for law enforcement personnel and the ministry to focus and concentrate more on the serious crimes that are affecting and plaguing our societies and our communities across this country and like the leader of the opposition said he would have wanted to see the whole legalization of marijuana, but I believe that it is prudent that we as a responsible government take this one step at a time as we progress to ensure that we always make the right decision that will be a betterment for our nation”, says Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Belize’s Minister of Home Affairs.
Belize, a country in Central America, has a population of roughly 366,000.
