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UK holding up bills to cause strain between Gov't & people- Premier Fahie posits

- said Governor's actions tantamount to moving 'towards trying to unseat an elected Government'
Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) has vowed to take on the matter of the Governor holding up Bills sent to him for assent. Photo: VINO/File
Ironically, while the United Kingdom is stalling the Virgin Islands' medical marijuana industry from getting off the ground, changes to UK legislation saw cannabis being legalised for medical use in November 2018. Photo: news.miami.edu
Ironically, while the United Kingdom is stalling the Virgin Islands' medical marijuana industry from getting off the ground, changes to UK legislation saw cannabis being legalised for medical use in November 2018. Photo: news.miami.edu
His Excellency, Governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert stalled three Bills, namely, the Advance Passenger Information Act, 2020, the VI Cannabis Licensing Act 2020, and the Drugs (Prevention of Misuse) (Amendment) Act, 2020. Photo: VINO/File
His Excellency, Governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert stalled three Bills, namely, the Advance Passenger Information Act, 2020, the VI Cannabis Licensing Act 2020, and the Drugs (Prevention of Misuse) (Amendment) Act, 2020. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) has vowed to take on the matter of the Governor holding up Bills sent to him for assent.

The Premier was at the time addressing the issue, which has become topical since His Excellency, Governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert stalled three Bills, namely, the Advance Passenger Information Act, 2020, the VI Cannabis Licensing Act 2020, and the Drugs (Prevention of Misuse) (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The Bills were before the Governor for months, and in particular, the Cannabis Licensing Bill which would pave the way for the territory to tap into the medicinal marijuana industry has now reached the United Kingdom for review in what has been viewed as an unprecedented move.

UK benefitting from Medical Marijuana industry

Ironically, while the United Kingdom is stalling the Virgin Islands' medical marijuana industry from getting off the ground, changes to UK legislation saw cannabis being legalised for medical use in November 2018. This is based on case studies showing that cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are extremely effective at treating many physical, emotional and mental conditions, without the side effects of pharmaceuticals.

Additionally, the demand for cannabis as a medical treatment in the UK is growing rapidly, and the Centre for Medicinal Cannabis (CMC) predicts that by 2024, the UK medical cannabis market alone will be worth close to £1bn ($1.3bn) and servicing nearly 340,000 active patients.

The UK Cannabis Report estimates that about 7.3 million people in the UK use CBD products each year, often imported and bought online or in speciality or high-street retail stores.

In 2019, CBD product sales figures were higher than those of vitamins C and D combined. And CBD retailers say that those numbers have shot up further during lockdown, with so many people looking for relief from anxiety and stress.

And while the UK is benefitting from the medical marijuana industry, it is preventing its Overseas Territory, the Virgin Islands, from doing so.

Ulterior motives by UK

Premier Fahie did not hold back on his suspected reasons for the holdup of certain bills by the Governor, including VI Cannabis Licensing Act 2020.

“Many things are long overdue and even tackling this assenting to Bills that have not violated any legal aspect or any convention, but because they don’t want us in that area but don’t want to say that, those must be tackled too,” he said during the House of Assembly sitting on January 5, 2021.

He explained: “Because the longer you stop an economy from moving forward, you are hoping that the people turn on the local government saying that the economy is not moving when everything we pass to get the economy going is either immensely delayed or not assented to.”

The Premier also added that not granting assent to specific Bills at the Governor’s whim was “tantamount to moving towards trying to unseat a sitting government, and that has to be looked into.”

22 Responses to “UK holding up bills to cause strain between Gov't & people- Premier Fahie posits”

  • Well (11/01/2021, 08:31) Like (2) Dislike (3) Reply
    Ndp was a Government in hell. Them some handicaps. Passive, dunce and disrespectful.

    https://bvinews.com/elected-leaders-were-rendered-useless-after-2017-hurricanes/
  • YOUR FAULT FAHIE (11/01/2021, 08:58) Like (50) Dislike (3) Reply
    The fact is the BVI is an Overseas territory. We are subject to the UK unless we go independent. The people will never want independence. Why? The people do not trust governments: both VIP and NDP. So until then, we must work with the UK and not fight at every given moment. And if we do we will ultimately lose.
    • @ your fault Fahie (11/01/2021, 09:41) Like (2) Dislike (41) Reply
      The governor is a racist bottom line hence his actions on the behalf of the uk
      • mad max (11/01/2021, 14:05) Like (23) Dislike (1) Reply
        Only the ignorant would consider the governor a racist.

        One day you may meet a real racist and get the shock of your life!
  • Rubber Duck (11/01/2021, 09:08) Like (28) Dislike (0) Reply
    They might just be figuring how to keep the lid on the cookie jar.
  • 2021 (11/01/2021, 09:22) Like (3) Dislike (21) Reply
    You saying that they trying to unseat you?

    How about saying they trying to stifle the BVI economy & its people so that the BVI people can always be dependent upon them or always be the underdog - that is what I read in the article.

  • mad max (11/01/2021, 09:27) Like (53) Dislike (4) Reply
    The Premier needs to "grow up".
    • @ mad max (11/01/2021, 13:30) Like (1) Dislike (22) Reply
      You keep off the premier Jespert is the big racist child

      We support our Premier hands down
  • My girl (11/01/2021, 09:42) Like (5) Dislike (23) Reply
    What the Uk and Jespert is doing is dead wrong as only the people will suffer
  • Robert Nesta Marley (11/01/2021, 09:59) Like (1) Dislike (12) Reply
    Didn't my people before salved for this country now you treat me with scorn trying to destroy all my corn. all was well and good back when your fore parents salvaged in the hot boiling sun picking the cotton and cutting the sugarcane. Great Britain had no objection to the enslavement of our people however in 2020 the descendent of slaves still have to be sitting in limbo.....
  • liverpool (11/01/2021, 10:54) Like (1) Dislike (6) Reply
    I read some of the comments one state that it is your fault fahie, it is no fault of Mr fahie yes he is the premier but he cannot do any thing until approves it. People do not forget that w are a dependent country of the us so donot blame fahie he is doing his best to have things done and make things work belive me sot labeling fahie as if he is not doing nothing. H as to wait on what england says before he does any thing. I am a londoner and live in the bvi and i am sick of people blaming FAHIE for the fowl up of England so stop blaming fahie for all the pronlems, You all is forgetting what the NDP put us through and the MDP is 95percent of the problems we wre facing here in the BVi Fahie inherit a lot of troubles what the government NDP leave so stop calling down Andrew he is doing his best to keep the country a float. Fahie is th best premier simce oneal you all who calling down FAHIE beter think again see how he dealt with the covid19 matter we have to tank god that we did not end uop like america so people please stop the bashing and bee thank full that we have a premier like him. an to you out side people keep quiet because bvi landers is not critisung your government remember you live here and i think that you all ned to talk but talk in a sensible manner because if the same governor who you all are always critizing do you know that he can make a clean sweep of outsiders you down island people so it istime to lick your child behind your doors be cause the governor has the power to take back your papers so be catrfull Mr. Fahie you will survive God is on your side and the BVi will continue to shine.You a;; expats keep a low profine because the tide can turn and you all may just be the vitims and the same Fahie might have to beg for you all. BVI landers do not go down the islads and making comments Mr fahie we are praying for you but be carefull with the mother counrty, time will trll we do not know if rhe mother country is planning her pick ups agaim work with the premier things is going to come through.
    • lodger (11/01/2021, 12:23) Like (10) Dislike (0) Reply
      Oh Dear. Londoner you say? No English or typing classes there?
    • Definitely Not A Brit!! (11/01/2021, 15:39) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
      Ummmm.... This definitely wasn't written by a Brit!!! There's at least one grammatical error on every line!

    • A 'londoner' named 'liverpool' living in the BVI, eh? (12/01/2021, 01:42) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      You sound as confused as your grammar (including subject-verb agreement), spelling, capitalisation, logic and sentence structure, honestly. From claiming that 'w are a dependent country of the us' [sic] to exhorting 'out side people' to simultaneously 'keep quiet' while also saying 'you all ned to talk but talk in a sensible manner' and not knowing that the British spelling of certain words uses s rather than the American z. Total confusion.
      Nice try, though I don't think High School or any British comprehensive or academy would be rushing to claim you as their product anytime soon. Gather your thoughts, take your time, run your contribution through Grammarly and try again.
  • WEW (11/01/2021, 12:56) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    The blame game continues. Someone elses fault
  • rattie (11/01/2021, 13:28) Like (0) Dislike (9) Reply
    You are on the right track premier do not let up
  • Xxx (11/01/2021, 13:31) Like (1) Dislike (10) Reply
    Funny man and Gus aka ms freeman blogging on every site

    WE WILL NEVER FORGET AND BE FOOD

  • WHY? (11/01/2021, 17:27) Like (3) Dislike (6) Reply
    Why hasn’t the governor and his white crony office been arrested and deported yet??
  • HAHAHA (11/01/2021, 19:20) Like (3) Dislike (7) Reply
    Why are you surprised the governor ain’t working? Don’t you know he’s just been on a jolly here at our expense? Lapping it up in luxury with his million dollar paycheck from us?? And free accommodation & black servants...

    Of course he ain’t gonna work! ‘What’s that’, he says.

    Don’t you see his white office staff, all women, drinking & smoking at the office we gave them for free???
  • wise up (11/01/2021, 19:53) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Don't you realized by now Premier A. Fahie, that on these issues you lack deplomatic charm? Wise up man. He got the handle. You got the blade. Try real deplomacy and patienr, not complaint. Be somewhat like a professional fisherman. It take time to get the fish in the boat. You need wise consultant advise form some among you that you are blindly overlooking. It will cost a lot less dollars that are needed elswhere.
  • facts (12/01/2021, 09:43) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply

    Quote: "This is based on case studies showing that cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are extremely effective at treating many physical, emotional and mental conditions, without the side effects of pharmaceuticals."Ends.

    Whilst CBD is widely proven to be an effective medicinal drug, there is far less evidence about THC.

    Indeed THC CAUSES many mental health issues when combined with other factors. Just one source:

    https://www.news-medical.net/news/20191030/Cannabis-is-not-an-effective-treatment-for-mental-health-conditions-conclude-experts.aspx

  • musa (12/01/2021, 13:17) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    For a Christian community is the the best you can provide to our economy.?


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