Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

'Food security should be our priority now'  Turnbull on medical marijuana initiative

'Food security should be our priority now' Turnbull on medical marijuana initiative

As the House of Assembly deliberates government’s proposed Cannabis Licensing Act which will provide for cultivation and sale of medical cannabis, Opposition Legislator Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull has called for the Andrew Fahie administration to shift its focus to food security right now.

The Opposition legislator said while there is nothing wrong with coming up with new revenue streams, the 2017 hurricanes and COVID-19 pandemic have given the BVI “an opportunity to start back from basics”.

“Let’s develop fishing; let’s invest in it. The ground is still rich, till the soil. Get back to basics, don’t be so busy chasing after money or for the potential for this money, that we continue to miss the mark and lose sight of this opportunity that is begging us to return to basics,” Turnbull argued.

“So yes, this is a cannabis Bill but food security should be our priority. It should be where our focus is. You talking about seven hundred acres up in Paraquita Bay, it is important, given all that we are facing, we can’t just continue just to promote what we can get,” he said.

Government has proposed the offer a total 50 acres of land to 100 local farmers to cultivate marijuana for medical use.


People are hungry

Turnbull, in the meantime, also said there are people who are ‘suffering and are hurting’ and the conversation should surround feeding persons on a local scale.

“Yes, the Bill speaks about 50 acres for this purpose but the solution to the problem that we face with the uncertainties that we were threatened with given the situation with COVID-19 is that we could have been just as almost was the case with the hurricanes of 2017. We could have been cut off from the United States and the rest of the countries that we continue to get food from,” the second-term legislator stated.

Premier Fahie has, however, said the investment risk government will make once this legislation gets under is low. He added that the introduction of this legislation will “not lead to the neglect of food production”.

He said this will be ensured based on the licensing regulations associated with the cannabis legislation.

“There will be a limit of the number of licenses based on the amount of land that is allocated for the industry. Additionally, your government has a $2 million programme to boost agriculture and fisheries,” Fahie told the House of Assembly on Friday.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
×