10.12. However, despite these encouraging possibilities the economic impacts of pro-marijuana policies cannot be determined in vacuity as the very acts of decriminalization and legalization may impose significant costs which should be acknowledged and managed accordingly. Additionally, if legalization is poorly regulated and enforced, this could foster a reduction in its harm perception and increased marijuana consumption, both of which may escalate direct costs for healthcare and social services as it relates to cannabis use and dependency210. 10.13. Thus, cannabis policy shifts should be accompanied by adequate funding allocated for education and prevention programs to mitigate anticipated spikes in substance use and dependence.211 Ideally, these should already be in place. The amended Jamaican law makes provision for Regulations for this purpose, but as yet, no concrete programs are in place. The Commission believes that such legislative safeguards against irresponsible use should be pre-requisites for any law reform initiatives. Changing the focus of cannabis/ marijuana away from prohibition and criminality and toward public health and human rights emphases, necessitates same. 10.14. Several respondents at the Consultations strongly supported the economic argument for liberalization as they espoused that the region was ‘missing out’ on the profits that could be derived from taxation which could assist with regional debt issues.
Current Negative Costs
10.15. As illustrated above, from a criminal justice perspective, the costs associated with the detention, arrest, prosecution and incarceration of marijuana related offenders continue to incur massive financial burdens on countries where the substance is still illegal212. Yet, in spite of considerable fiscal, human and technological resources allocated to the fight against marijuana there has not been a significant reduction in its availability213, accessibility or use214 globally215. Additionally, the high costs of imprisonment of marijuana offenders was highlighted as an unsustainable expenditure. Consequently, funds which were traditionally used for marijuana enforcement could be better utilized for addressing serious crime216 and other public safety goals217 as well as be channelled into public sensitization and prevention efforts.218 10.16. Further to this, some research has concluded that marijuana liberalisation policy amendments produced sizeable savings for national budgets219. Accordingly, the main thrust was that Governments would accrue savings from the following avenues: reduction in police resources from the elimination of drug arrests; reduction in prosecutorial and judicial resources from the elimination of drug prosecutions; and the reduction in correctional resources from the elimination of drug incarcerations.220
Protecting Regional Hegemony, Finance, Fair Trade and Land
10.17. Embracing cannabis/ marijuana as a means of economic development is not without its challenges however. A serious concern is that a new system could place economic power and benefit too much in the hands of large, foreign business concerns, to the detriment of several stakeholders, including small farmers, alternative health practitioners and citizens themselves. A law reform and regulatory framework must confront these challenges to protect the region’s hegemony, some of which may be fairly unique to the CARICOM region. The region must be proactive to ensure that economic benefit from cannabis is not restricted to raw products only, while developed countries outside of CARICOM use our raw products to create sophisticated by-products with huge commercial value. This has been the historical paradigm with regard to prized natural substances in the Caribbean, such as cocoa, sugar and coconut. Cannabis presents an opportunity to reverse that negative pattern. Caulkins et al (2012); Evans (2013) Evans (2013) 212 Bates (2004) 213 The World Drug Report (2017:39) stated that cannabis continues to be the most widely illicitly produced drug worldwide, both in terms of the size and geographical spread of the area under cultivation and the volume actually produced. 214 ALCU (2013) 215 The World Drug Report (2017:10) indicated that 183 million people used marijuana in 2015 as compared to 37 million who used amphetamines and prescription simulants and 17 million who used cocaine for the same period. 216 ALCU (2013) 217 Beckett and Herbert (2011) 218 Ogrodnik et al (2015) 219 Miron (2010); Glauser (2012) and Golzar (2015) 220 Miron (2010) 210 211
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