Profile and activity for Planter Research | The Government of Bermuda

Planter Research 2 years ago I still do not understand why it takes so much effort to update our laws in regards to Health and Safety. I am a City and Guilds equivalent certified Tradesman (IMI Awards) in the Automotive Body work, Automotive Paint Refinishing and Welding. I have been taught my trade at recognized institutions and obtained my certification as required by the National Certification Board in these fields. So I am a registered tradesman and I was required to be a registered tradesman in order to obtain my current post in this field of work. However I am bewildered that the Health and Safety Standards in Bermuda which should be on par with OSHA standards are not. Furthermore when I question why VOC’s produced by workers in this industry are not being controlled better I have yet to get a response. TCD implemented emissions control some years back. The clean air act was updated and yet the amount of VOC emissions has not changed. People and companies are allowing full fledged painting to be done outside of a paint booth with high VOC emissions. The UK law does not permit such things to happen. I understand that we are not under UK laws but this is a huge issue in Bermuda. These VOC are highly dangerous and the effects of them are not common knowledge. Exposure to them can lead to poor interpersonal relationships, cancer, brain damage and other mental health problems as well as reproductive health problems. Not to mention that exposure can also lead to addiction and death. Insomuch people who have been exposed to this would require rehabilitation services once they decide to stop their exposure. Withdrawal symptoms are common place as well as the need for counseling to change their behavior and improve interactions with others. However none of this is newly discovered information, we have documented evidence of these damaging effects and OSHA has addressed this issue in their standards. So why are Bermuda standards so low? Why is there so much red tape to go through to implement things that should have been implemented decades ago?

Planter Research 6 years ago Just last year the government made an amendment to clarify what is considered hemp. So now we know that any part of the cannabis plant that contains less than 1% THC may be imported as it is considered hemp ( http://mobile.royalgazette.com/politics/article/20191106/house-hemp-legislation-amended&template=mobileart ) . However part of the picture is still very grey as we do not know how the law views the cultivation of hemp. The reason why it’s a good point to clarify is because we have already had talks about changing legislation and the possibility of cultivation of medical cannabis. As we know the use of medical cannabis is legal ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_Bermuda) with a prescription however we are limited to 2000 grams per year for importation as of March 30, 2020. Here is where it gets interesting; the cannabis strain Dinamed is one of those strains that produce less than 1% THC and up to 20% CBD. So is it legal to grow? Moreover hempseed is becoming a more popular choice for a protein source due to the presence of Omegas and the absence of Lectins. So can the industrial hemp strains be grown? I know that it seems like an odd thing to suggest as the seeds and possibly equipment to grow it would need to be imported and we have social distancing in place until further notice. However we are looking at post lockdown ideas. So I put it forward for your consideration as it does not require the law to change rather a review of what is in place and a statement of clarification. As a researcher I would love to join the CBD cultivation and seek out phenotypes that produce even more CBDs so as to become competitive in the global market with the first strain containing 25% CBD.

Planter Research 6 years ago Just last year the government made an amendment to clarify what is considered hemp. So now we know that any part of the cannabis plant that contains less than 1% THC may be imported as it is considered hemp ( http://mobile.royalgazette.com/politics/article/20191106/house-hemp-legislation-amended&template=mobileart ) . However part of the picture is still very grey as we do not know how the law views the cultivation of hemp. The reason why it’s a good point to clarify is because we have already had talks about changing legislation and the possibility of cultivation of medical cannabis. As we know the use of medical cannabis is legal ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_Bermuda) with a prescription however we are limited to 2000 grams per year for importation as of March 30, 2020. Here is where it gets interesting; the cannabis strain Dinamed is one of those strains that produce less than 1% THC and up to 20% CBD. So is it legal to grow? Moreover hempseed is becoming a more popular choice for a protein source due to the presence of Omegas and the absence of Lectins. So can the industrial hemp strains be grown? I know that it seems like an odd thing to suggest as the seeds and possibly equipment to grow it would need to be imported and we have social distancing in place until further notice. However we are looking at post lockdown ideas. So I put it forward for your consideration as it does not require the law to change rather a review of what is in place and a statement of clarification. As a researcher I would love to join the CBD cultivation and seek out phenotypes that produce even more CBDs so as to become competitive in the global market with the first strain containing 25% CBD. I suggested this under the economy forum and I reposted it here as I understand also that it may take a change in the law to accomplish and to also touch on the proposed legislation that is in place ( http://bernews.com/2020/02/expand-scope-of-proposed-cannabis-reforms/ )

Planter Research 6 years ago Bermuda has done well to contain the spread of the virus for the most part with the latest figures and models reflecting that. We know that the predicted peak of the outbreak locally is set to be in September, best case scenario. I would like to believe that it is possible for us to do better than the best case scenario and create a safe haven here in Bermuda. In the long run this will play a key role in reopening the tourism industry. This is because people will still want to travel for business and pleasure in the future and they will first look at places where the outbreak was controlled best. Common sense would make those places a top destination. So it is in everyone’s best interest to work to that end and obey the regulations set up by the health department to be better than the best case scenario statistics.

Planter Research 6 years ago With the global state of affairs in its current condition Bermuda must seriously look at setting up some new pillars for our economy. Right now we survive on Tourism and International Business as our economy pillars, yet we are faced with a pandemic that has closed down tourism and greatly affected the international business. So I propose that we establish a couple of new pillars for the future understanding that it will take time to build these pillars but in the long run it would stabilize the economy. Education is a service that is sustainable and profitable. So much so people around the globe compete for places in the top flight colleges and universities. Not to mention that a lot of courses can be completed online. What does that mean for Bermuda? Should we strive for and become a recognized leader in education people would look to us. Now we know and understand that the elite institutions did not get their overnight and they had to uphold a standard of excellence in order to be recognized as elite. However there are many areas of modern advancement and technology and research that represent a niche market in education. Not to mention vocational courses that Bermuda is ideal for training; sports and fitness, agriculture, fire work displays to name a few. So if we capitalize on those areas and set our standards high in time we will reap the benefits and solidify a new pillar of the economy. Recognizing that any student that has to stay on island while in school will be a bonus to that end.Exportation of goods. This will require goods to be produced on an industrial level and that sounds impossible for us with limited space and raw materials to work with. However it is not impossible and again we will have to work in niche markets in order to be effective. Once upon a time we exported Easter Lillies and to this day we supply (mainly through distributors overseas) products like Ginger Beer and Black Rum. So I propose that we create some signature products like those and seek to export and/or distribute overseas. I cannot comment on what products I have in mind personally at this point but I can say this much. Like they do with many beers and even a Jamaican wine, I would have a local product that is slightly different (better) than the exports so that visitors would travel to Bermuda in search of the products. Surely they can take some away when they go to share but they will have to visit the island to get more. I hope you can see how this would create yet another pillar to the economy in time and also how these new pillars like the ones we have now can work together.Thank you for reading my thoughts and for your consideration and comments.

Planter Research 6 years ago Once upon a time Bermuda was known for building the best boats that money could buy. This was actually are market, so to say that everyone wanted a Bermuda built vessel. We had the top of the line ships and not to mention the fastest. So what happened to the industry? It disappeared with the wild cedar tree. I understand fully that we don’t have the natural resources that we once had but that should not mean that the craftsmanship has to be gone for good. In fact it’s to our advantage to restart the industry. With our history to back our name and brand we would do well with collectors and those who can appreciate heritage.

Planter Research

All input submitted by this participant

Health and Safety Laws

Clarification on the next level

Cultivation of hemp

Bermuda as a safe haven

Education and exportable goods

What happened to the shipwrights?!?