Church leaders have voiced concerns over the increasing numbers of persons who
are openly smoking marijuana in public.
A group of church leaders met with the prime minister last Friday to express their
concerns with the smoking of marijuana in public places generally, but are
particularly concerned when individuals are smoking marijuana in church yards
and in the cemeteries when they attend funerals.
Executive member of the Evangelical Alliance of Antigua and Barbuda Pastor
Fitzgerald Semper, revealed that one church leader reported that one individual had
entered his church with the marijuana spliff tucked between his fingers. At the
time, the pastor said while the marijuana spliff was unlit, he felt that entering the
sanctuary with the marijuana spliff was in itself a sacrilegious act.
“We asked the government to undertake a programme of education to inform the
public that marijuana use in public places is not legal. He 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,” he stated.
The Evangelical Alliance is suggesting that the government agencies develop
public service announcements (PSA’s) for broadcast on both radio and television
to undertake this programme of education.
Last Saturday on the Browne and Browne show, Prime Minister Gaston Browne
re-emphasised the fact that smoking marijuana in public is prohibited by law. He
said the decriminalization allows for its use in the privacy of one’s home but
smoking marijuana or cigarette in public is unlawful. He said those taking
marijuana into churches and or smoking in church yards and cemeteries ‘are taking
it too far’.
“We went as far as to decriminalize marijuana recognizing that it can be utilized
for certain ailments and we have legalized it for certain medicinal purposes.
However, marijuana has not been legalized for recreational purposes and there is a
reason why we didn’t go that far. Based on our international obligations we could
not go that far or else there would be international sanctions against the country,”
he remarked.
PM Browne said those involved in smoking in public ought to respect the rights of
those around them who do not wish to inhale second-hand smoke from either
marijuana or cigarette.
The members of the Antigua Barbuda Evangelical Alliance (ABEA) who met with
PM Browne last Friday were; Dr. Olson Daniel, President, Rev. Christopher
Weekes, Executive Member, Pastor Fitzgerald Semper, Public Relations Officer
and Clovis St Romain, General Secretary.
