Sign this petition to show your support for the legalization of the cultivation, sales and possession of cannabis on Bonaire for both medical and recreational use.

As more and more states around the world continue to embrace the legalization of cannabis in one form or another, it is an indecency to both locals of Bonaire and the cannabis friendly tourists who visit us each year to keep the same laws regarding cannabis that have been in place for 60 years. There are thousands of reasons why cannabis never should have been illegal in the first place, I believe in this day in age most government officials are well aware of that, but as with many things, some for better, some for worse, Bonaire remains 10 years behind on a global trend of cannabis reform. To make things worse, there are some odd particularities to this regarding Bonaire as special municipality of the Netherlands. Even though the herb is illegal, the dutch ministry of health facilitates a singular company in the Netherlands exemption to produce and supply pharmacies with irratiated cannabis packed in plastic containers.

The catch, you ask? This same company is the one and only company currently supplying the pharmacies on Bonaire with medical cannabis, needless to say patients are not so happy with the quality, and to an ex-colonial island like Bonaire it's rather odd that the Netherlands bans us from producing a plant here all the while forcing us to buy it from them with taxpayers money none the less... 

Furthermore it is a an embarrassment to see locals face unjust and often unlawful punishment in the presence of modern day tourists for breaking the laws that the Netherlands and the Island government of Bonaire choose to keep in place, yet obviously can not apply to themselves....

In the European part of the Netherlands there are more than five-hundred coffeeshops allowed to sell recreational cannabis, while the production of both recreational and medical use remain monopolized by the government, in the U.S. and Canada there are now thousands upon thousands of cannabis dispensaries and recreational stores providing consumers with product from thousands upon thousands of legal growers who pay taxes and follow strict health and safety guidelines.

I urge both the Dutch and local government to take it upon themselves to change the 1960 law regarding cannabis, in a way that reflects scientific truth and a true resolve to strengthen the economy, create jobs and improve our collective health, as well as that of the environment all the while making us a little less dependent albeit in the slightest way.

Happy (4:20) 4-20-2020!!! Stay safe!!!