Richard Branson: Marijuana in Caribbean should be legal and regulated

British billionaire Sir Richard Branson has stood by his statements on the decriminalisation of marijuana use in Barbados.

This follows criticism of his views by one of the island’s leading criminologists.

Speaking at a business seminar last week, the Virgin Atlantic boss called for cannabis to be legal in small amounts.

Cheryl Willoughby, director of the Barbados Criminal Justice Research and Planning Unit, dismissed the suggestion, arguing that the country’s justice system was not struggling to deal with those using small quantities of the drug.

Instead nearly all of the criminal cases in Barbados related to marijuana were linked to possession and trafficking of large amounts, she said.

Branson released a statement which appeared to respond to Willoughby’s criticism, in which he said the current laws do nothing to make Barbados a safer place.

“Cannabis is everywhere in the Caribbean, freely available to anyone who wants it and looks for it, and yet the entire market is controlled by people that have no interest in ensuring that potent, harmful types of cannabis stay out of the hands of minors,” he said.

“If the safety of your child matters to you, this cannot be an acceptable situation,” the business mogul stressed.”

‘New approach needed’

While advocating strongly for policy reform, Branson made it clear that he was not encouraging use of drugs.

“I believe strongly that as with alcohol in the United States, only decriminalisation helps and will free the law enforcement resources needed to focus on organised crime.

“The approaches of Colorado or Washington in the US, now followed by many others, including Canada and Uruguay, will show that (as with alcohol), sensible drug policy reform means taking control, not ceding it.

“I hope this thinking will catch on in the Caribbean, too.”

Branson is a member of the Switzerland-based Global Commission on Drug Policy,a panel of world leaders and intellectuals.

In June 2011, the commission said that “the global war on drugs has failed, with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world."