By Belize Live News Staff: Church Senator Louis M. Wade Jr. has sparked a national debate after publicly suggesting that marijuana use may be contributing to Belize’s rise in deadly road traffic accidents, particularly those involving motorcycles.
In a social media post that quickly gained traction, Wade called on authorities to confront what he described as “the elephant in the room”, alleging that many weekend and late-night road accidents may involve drivers who are intoxicated or high.
“Many of our drivers are high, if not downright intoxicated, not just with alcohol, but with marijuana, for which we have no legal blood limit,” Wade wrote.
The senator recalled questioning former Prime Minister Dean Barrow years ago about whether there would be a legal limit for marijuana use when 10 grams of weed were decriminalized. “He walked away from my question,” Wade added, suggesting that the country failed to establish clear safety measures before legalizing limited possession.
Wade went on to warn that drug-impaired driving is an underexamined issue, noting that marijuana affects coordination and response time, even when users feel confident to drive.
“We legislate without understanding consequences,” he wrote. “When a person is high, they gain confidence but lose coordination.”
The post has ignited discussions online, with supporters agreeing that marijuana use among drivers deserves more scrutiny, while critics argue that Wade’s claims lack scientific evidence and unfairly link cannabis to all road incidents.
