Established October 1895 See Inside Monday July 5, 2021 $1 VAT Inclusive STAY ON HIGH ALERT AS this country seeks to based Caribbean Law Therefore, he warned, the au- while lining the pockets of be coming at you with this in- build out a medicinal Enforcement Foundation thorities have to be on high those who are engaging in the dustry, but I’m not trying to cannabis sector, a law en- (CLEF), David Watson. alert. illegal activity. scare people. I’m talking about forcement expert is urging He explained in a recent in- His comments came as he Watson, who is Barbadian international crime, local the authorities to be on terview with The Barbados said the manufacturing of born, pointed out that these crime, and the cannabis itself the lookout for the criminal Advocate that while the coun- counterfeit cannabis products fake items could cause more with people trying to counter- element that is likely try has legalised marijuana for is big business across the harm than good, and therefore feit products. There’s so much to try to profit from the medicinal purposes, other uses world, with unlicensed opera- persons purchasing products stuff that’s going to come their industry. of marijuana remain illegal, tors making and selling should ensure their authentic- way and the police department The advice is coming from and he said persons may want cannabis products illegally, ity before using them. in Barbados needs to prepare President and Chief Executive to circumvent that through the causing cultivators and manu- “This is a whole other animal for that,” he said. Officer of the United States- medicinal cannabis industry. facturers major headaches, in terms of criminality that will HIGH ALERT on Page 2 Among the attendees at the event to celebrate CARICOM Day were (from left to right) Consultant attached to Barbados’ CSME unit, Dr. George Brathwaite; CARICOM Youth Ambassador, Meghan Theobalds; President of the Guyanese Association of Barbados Inc. (GABI), Nicole Moore-Clarke; Barbados’ Ambassador of CARICOM, David Comissiong; Vice-President of the Jamaica Association of Barbados, Suaz Blair; and the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to Suriname, Senator Alphea Wiggins. Need to highlight work done by CARICOM GREATER efforts must be made day and it took place in Norman CARICOM remains hidden from appreciation of all the organs of tendees at the CARICOM Day to highlight and inform the pub- Centre in the City. the citizens of the Caribbean. CARICOM – the Council on event were Senior Foreign lic locally and regionally about He gave examples of instances Part of the fault has to do with Trade and Economic Service Officer with the Ministry the work being done on their where joint efforts are made but the CARICOM institutions Development, the Council on of Foreign Affairs and Foreign behalf by the institutions of are seldom highlighted. One themselves. They don’t do Human and Social Develop- Trade who has responsibility for the Caribbean Community such example, he stated, was the enough public education. They ment, the Council on Finance CARICOM, Sandra Gittens; (CARICOM). work done recently in the fight don’t do enough public relations and Planning [and] the Council Consultant attached to Bar- This was one of the key points against COVID-19, where re- to actually inform the Caribbean on National Security.” He also bados’ CSME unit, Dr. George coming from Barbados’ gional entities “engaged in the people about their existence, said the Ministry of Foreign Brathwaite; the Prime Minister’s Ambassador of CARICOM, research, in analysis, in brain- about the work that they are Affairs and Foreign Trade has to Special Envoy to Suriname, David Comissiong, who spoke storming, in advising of CARI- doing and so forth.” do some work in this respect to Senator Alphea Wiggins; and during an event to mark CARI- COM member states” on health He further stated the media showcase the work they do. CARICOM Youth Ambassador, COM Day 2021. It was held on and safety protocols. “can help us as well to pierce be- This year marks CARICOM’s Meghan Theobalds. Saturday ahead of the official “I want to say that a lot of neath the surface and to get an 48th anniversary.Among the at- CARICOM on Page 2 2 • Monday July 5, 2021 The Barbados Advocate Unity is key CARICOM from Page 1 A toast was raised to CARICOM during occa- sion and there was a spe- cial CARICOM wax statue exhibition featuring outstanding personalities from various CARICOM member states. In her address, Theo- balds said the younger generation is even more connected to our regional neighbours than before. She added that there is so much potential for young people to play an integral role in deepening this re- gional connection. A toast was raised by those in attendance in celebration She encouraged the of CARICOM Day 2021. youth to represent and talk about CARICOM INSET: CARICOM Youth Ambassador, Meghan Theobalds, with enthusiasm and pas- delivering her address. sion. She added, “We have a lot to be proud of and hope for CARICOM Day She said the Caribbean’s sharing our ideas, views 2021 and for more CARI- strength lies in unity and and perspectives about the COM days in the foresee- as the region faces more region is an excellent way able threats – whether it is cli- to encourage our less en- future, “that CARICOM mate change or otherwise thusiastic friends and occupies a greater part our – it is imperative that the family to become more en- consciousness and be- countries comprising the gaged.” comes an integral part of region lean on each other She also shared her our community”. going forward. (MG) Security a priority HIGH ALERT from survey. They would know the former,Watson said Page 1 about fencing, lighting, they could be trained for egress – how to get per- apprehension or deter- Noting that the medic- sons out of the building rence. On the topic of inal cannabis industry is safely – and what kind of drones, he said they can new to Barbados, Watson locks are best to use in be autonomous or pilot as he said that the CLEF that industry, whether operated, and if permit- will be doing all it can to they be biometric or card ted for use, can survey a help train police officers scanners for example,” field or the perimeter of a here about what to look the former New York building in a fraction of for, how to interdict it, as Police Department detec- the time of human per- well as how to notice the tive said. sonnel. start of any criminality He went on to say that “It is a good additional in that field. in order for the stake- security measure, espe- Meanwhile, he said holders in the sector to cially if you are a farmer that from a security reduce criminality, the with one acre and cannot standpoint those enter- security companies and afford to employ a secu- ing the industry have to the investors must work rity officer.Also, in terms be ever mindful of the in collaboration with the of the bigger operations, need to safeguard their Royal Barbados Police you can actually do drone investment. With that in Force. This, he said, mapping of your plants mind, he urged anyone would allow for the and when in flight they looking to invest in me- sharing of information can spot if you have miss- dicinal cannabis to first regarding trends being ing plants, or be able to get a security survey of seen within the industry let you know that one of the location from which and how to combat them. the plants is dying or is they intend to operate Speaking to the matter dead,” he said. from a trained security of praedial larceny and Watson’s comments practitioner. also the theft of products came as he made it clear “Anyone can put up a from the plants, he said that in terms of security, fence and some lights, that in addition to the in- there is not a one size fits but every location is dif- stallation of cameras, all. As such, he is urging ferent. So a practitioner lighting and fencing, dogs people to get expert ad- who is versed in doing se- and drones can both be vice to secure their in- curity surveys would be useful in warding off per- vestment. better placed to do your petrators. In respect of (JRT) The Barbados Advocate Monday July 5, 2021 • 3 Airport reopens for business LGBT+ community AFTER being closed today. We also have the even though the airport check in at the departure for three days, the normal British Airways had re-opened, it is not 100 hall of the airport. Grantley Adams and Virgin Atlantic; three per cent operational in all Inbound passengers are facing significant International Airport flights from Caribbean areas. There are some as- also asked to be patient (GAIA) re-opened for Airways, and three from pects of the airport that are with public health officials business yesterday Inter Caribbean. In addi- still experiencing power who are fully deployed to discrimination morning at 11:00. tion to those commercial outages, and as a result, ensure that persons com- THE LGBT+ community a more shocking one, Minister of Tourism and aircraft, we also have the some of the processes that ing into the country are in the Caribbean region is experience of more International Transport, private aircraft. What that are usually conducted elec- processed safely. facing significant discrim- harassment in the work- Senator Lisa Cummins, in- means is there are signifi- tronically and online are The Tourism Minister ination across the board.