‘Go Slow’ Votes “No”: Caye Caulker Rejects Cannabis Industry Plan

Residents of Caye Caulker have firmly voted against establishing a regulated cannabis industry; the result, certified by the Elections and Boundaries Department, shows 79.11 percent opposed and 20.54 percent in favor, with 58.94 percent voter turnout.

The official certificate issued by Chief Elections Officer Josephine Tamai confirms that of 1,454 registered electors, 857 cast ballots—176 voting “Yes,” 678 voting “No,” and 3 rejected ballots. The outcome reflects a decisive rejection of cannabis legalization on the island.

While the plebiscite was local, the result carries national significance. In 2022, Government and the Council of Churches agreed that no legalization initiative would proceed without a national referendum. Church leaders have since clarified that the Caye Caulker vote does not breach that understanding, as the ballot was community-initiated rather than Cabinet-driven.

Under the amended Referendum Act, the former 60-percent turnout threshold was repealed in 2017; therefore, a simple majority of votes cast now determines the outcome, regardless of turnout. Although referenda are not legally binding on Government, this result serves as a reliable measure of public sentiment toward cannabis reform.

The scale of the “No” vote reinforces Belize’s prevailing social conservatism and signals potential challenges for future legalization efforts. It also reopens earlier concerns raised three years ago regarding risks to Belize’s banking sector and the possible loss of correspondent relationships with U.S. institutions, given that cannabis remains federally illegal in the United States.

The Caye Caulker result thus functions less as a policy directive and more as a public barometer—reflecting that, for now, the national mood toward cannabis legalization remains firmly opposed.