By Charles Gladden
CAYE CAULKER, Wed. Sept. 3, 2025
The residents of Caye Caulker Village will take part in a referendum scheduled for Wednesday, October 8, to indicate their stance on whether or not the use of marijuana should be legalized and regulated on the island.
Several months ago, a group on the island, Legalize It Caye Caulker, sought to make marijuana a taxable industry on the island by triggering a referendum. By means of a coordinated campaign, the group collected 365 of 1,360 registered voters’ signatures, surpassing the required 25% threshold (equivalent to 340 signatures) to call a referendum.
The signatures were submitted on May 21 to the Governor General of Belize, and on July 31, it was certified by the Chief Elections Officer at the Elections and Boundaries Department.
Dame Froyla Tzalam, Governor-General of Belize, officially signed off on a Writ of Referendum on Wednesday, September 3, with the go-ahead for the island residents to vote on the issue.
“We’re a small island [with a] small population, very touristic. It could be a place to start the legalization and see how the regulation works here. If everything works fine and the people are happy with the industry, maybe we could legalize the rest of the country,” said Lorena Beltrán, Legalization Campaign Coordinator.
“… Let’s not forget the good side of legalizing cannabis, not only the restrictions on minors, but also the tax revenue that this is going to create for the island. Money is much needed for infrastructure, to help build better schools, areas that are flooding, and to continue the education so people understand that having the legalization of cannabis doesn’t mean there’s going to be a bad image. This is happening around the world; Belize and Caye Caulker will not be the last,” she added.
Beltran believes that regulating cannabis on the island will result in the same restrictions on the purchase of marijuana as those that are in operation for purchasing alcohol at the local Chinese stores—thus preventing access by minors.
“By regulating an industry, that means there’s going to be restrictions and control, which there is none right now. There’s an illicit market that’s selling cannabis to minors on the street and other kids to schools because there’s no regulation, no control. The only control is the enforcement by the police, who are arresting people left and right who are consuming, selling, and putting them in prison. There are many issues in the illicit market. Minors have easier access than they should; regulations let us control that,” she said.
“… It’s going to be legal only for adults. There’s going to be licensed sellers, so specific retail stores are going to sell cannabis, and there’s going to be restrictions in coming for these stores. First, you need to be an adult. You will be required to show your ID, just like when you go to buy alcohol; it’s the same thing. We need to do a lot of educational campaigns for minors and parents because, at the end of the day, the government has a lot of power to provide education and help people understand the restrictions. But there’s also the responsibility of the parents on how their kids are growing up,” Beltran added.
Prior to the referendum, a nationwide educational awareness campaign will be rolled out to educate persons living in various parts of the country who are registered in Caye Caulker. At this time, persons can legally be in possession and use 10 grams or less of cannabis, but only on private premises.
