The so-called “National Cannabis Symposium” held this month in Dominica is not a bold new step forward; it is another pipe dream being sold to a struggling people hungry for real opportunity. We have heard this song before: 25 years ago, we were promised that the World Creole Music Festival would turn Dominica into a tourism giant. And where are we now?
This latest push for a “medicinal cannabis industry” is no different. It is a glittering distraction. A big idea with no real market, no realistic buyers, and no honest plan to make it work.
Let us talk facts.
This Government Has No Buyers. No Exports. No Plan.
1. Canada — one of the largest legal cannabis markets in the world does not import marijuana. Neither does the United States. Any country that legalizes medicinal marijuana includes one strict rule: all cannabis must be grown within that country’s borders. That means no matter how much you grow here, they are not buying it, PERIOD!
2. Jamaica has had a head start on this so-called industry for over a decade. With more advanced infrastructure, deeper regulatory experience, and a global reputation for producing some of the best cannabis in the world, Jamaica should have been the Caribbean’s cannabis export leader. And yet, even Jamaica struggles to find a global buyer.
Despite its cultural capital and brand strength, Jamaica has spent over ten years navigating red tape, struggling with certification, and chasing international markets that simply are not open. So we must ask: who exactly does the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy, under the leadership of Minister Roland Royer, the planners of this fantasy in Dominica, believe will suddenly choose us?
Unless this government has a secret backdoor to smuggle product into another country, without its customs, citizens, or government noticing, then this “industry” is dead on arrival.
Another ‘Build It and They Will Come Lie.
We have seen this before. Remember when the same Labour government promised that hotel construction would transform our economy? They built, and built, and built, justifying every deal with the now-infamous line: “If you build it, they will come.” Well, they [the tourist] did not come!
Now we are being fed the next lie: “If you grow it, they will buy.” But there is no buyer, only false hope and more wasted time.
Drugs Are Not Development.
The NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) loves and supports entrepreneurship and innovation. We believe in the power of big ideas. But we will never support false promises and unrealistic dreams, especially when they are sold to desperate people just trying to get ahead.
This is not economic development. It’s economic manipulation. It’s about keeping people passive, feeding them illusions while offering no real path forward. All the while, this administration continues to dodge accountability for its failed tourism strategy, crumbling infrastructure, and decaying health and education systems.
Distractions and Lies.
We cannot grow our way into a global cannabis market that does not exist for us. And we should not be told otherwise.
What Dominica needs is not false hope wrapped in the leaves of a marijuana plant. We need real jobs, real exports, and real opportunities, not fantasies of cannabis wealth that will never come. We need serious investment in modern agriculture, digital skills, clean energy, manufacturing, and education, the building blocks of a real economy. We need a government with the courage to tell the truth, the competence to plan strategically, and the will to fight for the people, not to mislead them with empty promises and desperate distractions.
The Cost of Blind Trust.
The most heartbreaking part of all this is how deeply so many of our people still trust the Dominica Labour Party, a government that has lied to them for over two decades. People cling to every empty promise, every recycled lie, desperate for a glimpse of hope, for the chance that maybe, this time, it will lead to real opportunity or wealth. But it never does.
Instead, they are strung along like pawns, used as tools to secure votes, only to be abandoned once again after election day. And let us not pretend the United Workers Party is any different. They offer the same vague ideas, the same hollow speeches, and the same backroom deals. They show up every few years, just long enough to stir up division and confusion, before disappearing until the next election cycle.
This is why the NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) urges every Dominican to do their research. Question what you hear, whether it is from us, from the government, or the opposition. Critique what you see. Challenge every politician, every party. We welcome your questions, your criticisms, and your demands for clarity. Because that is what real democracy looks like.
Ask yourself: Do the Dominica Labour Party or the United Workers Party welcome your scrutiny? Do they answer your questions, or do they deflect, distract, and hide behind slogans? The truth is, they fear transparency. We invite it!
That is the difference, that is “The Path Forward” with the NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP).
Do Not Be Fooled. Do Not Be Silenced. Do Not Let Another Generation Be Led By a Government With No Vision.
The NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) believes that hope must be rooted in reality. We stand with every farmer, youth, and citizen who wants more and deserves more.
But unfortunately, the NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) must now take on a difficult role; we must be the truth-tellers because the other parties will not. They are too busy playing games with our people’s futures, dragging out unrealistic ideas until the next election rolls around to pretend like progress is being made. That is not how the NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) lead.
At the NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP), if an idea will not work, we say so, plain and simple. We do not string people along. We do not trade fantasy for votes. We respect the people too much to lie to them. That is what makes us different. That is what makes us better. Because action speaks louder than words, and we are ready to act.
Do not let desperation decide our destiny. Do not settle for a government that thrives on illusion.
- Join the NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP).
- Look for honesty.
- Find opportunities.
- Stand for Dominica!
Team DRP