Earlier this week, voters in Caye Caulker weighed in on a local measure that sought to legalize cannabis activity on the island. Caye Caulker is a small Caribbean island off the coast of Belize. Cannabis advocates on the island were successful in placing a referendum measure on the ballot. However, they were not successful in getting the measure approved.

With a roughly 58.94% voter turnout, 79.11% of Caye Caulker voters rejected the local legalization measure, and just over 20% voted ‘yes’ for the measure. Unfortunately, it was a landslide defeat for local adult-use cannabis legalization. The vote was the first of its kind in Belize’s history.

“The question was whether the government should support a regulated marijuana industry, but only on the island, to boost revenue and tackle some long-standing infrastructure issues. It was a bold proposal, aimed at turning green into gold for the community. But when the ballots were counted, the answer was anything but hazy.” reported Greater Belize Media in its local coverage.

“Voters overwhelmingly rejected the idea, handing a decisive win to the anti-legalization campaigners.” the outlet also posted.

Even if the measure had passed, it still faced an uphill battle to become enacted. National government officials had stated several times leading up to the vote that it would be quickly voided, indicating that only Belize’s federal government could legalize adult-use cannabis commerce.

Belize has the smallest economy in Central America. In 2023, Belize had an estimated gross domestic product (GDP) of $3.1 billion. By comparison, Guatemala had a GDP of roughly $102 billion. Tourism and agriculture are Belize’s top industries.

Just as a regulated cannabis industry has helped other nations create jobs, generate taxes and fees, and boost local economies, the same would be true in Belize if the Central American nation allowed such activity. Proper momentum for cannabis legalization has been hard to come by in Belize, and the results of this local election will make it even harder to some degree.