Billion-dollar bud Who will reap the profits in Belize?

By William Conde
Source: reporter.bz

The global discussion and perspective on the use of marijuana medically, recreationally and industrially has evolved over the decades. Belize recently passed legislation to decriminalize up to 10 grams of cannabis for personal use but Belize’s decriminalization effort was limited compared to other nations who have undertaken to do the same.

Jamaica decriminalized up to 2 ounces of marijuana plus made provision for citizens to cultivate up to two marijuana trees for personal use. California and several other states in the US implemented laws this year making marijuana legal for recreational use. Canada has also approved legislation to see marijuana legal for recreational use in 2019.

States that have legalized and regulated the sale of marijuana and its many value added products have reported significant revenue boosts. Now, a group of Belizeans are lobbying for Belize to take the bull by the horns and embrace the opportunities of the coming hemp revolution.

The Belize Hemp Co-operative, an organization which filed a request to register and create a new cooperative with the Belmopan registrar in November 2017, is proposing that Belize and Belizeans reap the benefits of harvesting hemp and marijuana for industrial purposes. Belize Hemp also warns that if Belizeans are not allowed to participate freely and equally in the marijuana industry, that is sure to come our way, the foreign investors and select business people will be the only ones to reap the rewards that all Belizeans should be able to enjoy.

Here they come

As a matter of fact, many are already here; all these big time folks from these big time places, with self serving speeches. They have money, they have experts, they have seeds, and they have grand promises.

This is the rebirth of an ancient crop whose history has been basically withheld. The value of this plant is a high quality raw material with over 35,000 known value added uses, and it is demanding high value added dollars on the world market. This newly legalized multi-billion dollar crop needs local control and participation or these out-of-state folks will take control and feed us the crumbs.

So what’s up? Truth or myth?

Cannabis for industrial use comes from a different seed than cannabis for marijuana. Myth! They come from the same seed, it has to do with breeding and means of cultivation. Don’t be fooled. Cannabis for industrial purposes and cannabis for marijuana originally came from the same seed. Some have been selectively bread to reduce THC. As those who have had to deal with Monsanto’s seeds know, he who controls the seed controls the whole show.
Low THC seeds are all controlled and proprietary.

The only advantage of the foreign low THC seeds is that it is legally accepted as industrial hemp cannabis and lots of different seeds are available worldwide.

For Belize, however, the disadvantages far outweigh the pros. Foreign Low THC seeds are not from here, so they don’t grow rich and full like the local seeds. They are all controlled seeds giving over control of the crop. The harvest will belong to the holder of the proprietary seed. Value adding will be controlled by the one who owns the seed. That will not be the people of Belize unless you use local seeds.

You must also purchase new seeds for each crop. Additionally, there are no tropical strains, which will require lots of time to breed a seed that will produce profitable crops here. The foreign seeds would most likely be out of the race if the local seed is allowed to compete.
Using foreign low THC seeds may also require the use of lots of toxic chemicals, negating one of hemp’s great benefits, very low to nil use of toxic chemicals that pollute the product and the environment. Most importantly, using foreign seeds means that most of the profit will leave Belize.

Meanwhile, the only disadvantages of using the local seeds, would be possible legal hassles due to misinformation and for farmers, cross pollination between male and female marijuana crops, negating its use as a medicine.

The advantages of using the local seeds are many. It is already here so we can hit the ground running saving years of time in breeding strains fit for Belize’s climate.

Many strains, none of which are patented, are here and control-free to be used and sold by all. The local plants can produce massive amounts of seed allowing for exponential growth. Local plants can also be rapidly adapted for fiber and/or seed production.

The local plants will produce outstanding high-yield crops, capable of producing very special grades and quality for niche markets. Using the bi-products of the plant can also produce crude fiber and oil. Belize could also develop the seed market for tropical strains.

We have the seed and the cultivators, here, now, ready, willing and able to start right now. It can and will explode, giving countless opportunities to all of Belize or we can watch as the opportunities that were possible are gone as we once again are left to glean for ourselves.
When cultivated for industrial purposes (as a field crop) our local seed may contain more THC than the low THC proprietary seed, but like the low THC seed, when the local seed is cultivated exclusively for industrial purposes, you could smoke it all day, but it will not get you high. We can only speculate that the desire for low THC is to keep us from getting high, not to increase quality.

Well guys let us clue you into what was well-known by those who participated from the beginning.

Cannabis cultivated for industrial use (as a field crop) was and still is not the same as cannabis cultivated (as a garden crop tree by tree) for marijuana even though they came from the same seed. Some unscrupulous folks tried to sell field crop cannabis as marijuana, in days gone by. It looked the same, smelled the same but to the consumer it was immediately understood that it was no good and earned the name rag weed. So let us, the people of Belize, cultivate our local seed for industrial purposes.

The sky will not fall – Belize will rise.

Belize should immediately begin a plant breeding program to develop seed for our purpose. Once harvested, there is a world market for the raw material, or, one or more of the 35,000+ forms of value added bulk and/or custom products, currently in high demand on the world market.

Rather than having some foreign investor take all the harvest, because they hold the patient on the seed,

I propose to not sell the raw material from the local seed but to do our own value adding, which includes low and high tech processes. We should create a nation wide network of cottage industries using the hemp we have grown and sell our products on the world market.

Don’t cut us, the people of Belize, out of the picture. We have the people, we have the knowledge, we have the seed, we have the land; we want the money too.

Will the GOB establishment show that they are truly working for the people of Belize and let us use the seed nature has provided? Or will there be some back room deal cut to line the pockets of our great leaders and opportunistic outsiders. I propose that both the foreign and local seed be used to determine which one, or if both seeds will work for Belize. We the people have been hand cuffed for years. We are not asking the GOB or anybody else, to give us anything, just do not stop us from working this new natural billion-dollar crop resource and share in the potential wealth that is possible.

Canada is producing great wealth from very low production, 800 to 1,000 lbs of seed per acre from only one crop possible annually. Belize on the other hand, it is estimated, can produce 2,000 to 3,000 lbs of seed per acre per harvest and can harvest at least two and maybe three crops annually using local seed.

Using local seed, cannabis cultivated for industrial and medicinal use can help make the constitutional mandate that “there should be adequate means of livelihood for all” become a reality.

We have suffered much too long under these draconian rules. We have kept this natural resource alive for decades while governments of the world have done their best to completely eradicate the plant and imprison its users, the ones who have kept it alive for the world to use. Let those who have suffered and kept this sacred plant alive now participate in the financial benefits. Or will the Johnny-come-latelys have it all.

Get up stand up!

We are not officially registered with GOB as yet. We filed last November. We also filed in 2015. We were told it is not a long process. As of yet, not a word.

Who is Belize Hemp Co-op? We are you. This is one of the greatest opportunities the people here have ever seen and it should be claimed by and for the all people of Belize.