MAJOR stakeholders will gather in Saint Lucia, next week, to assist the country in strategising its course on the way to legislate the use of cannabis.
Saint Lucia is currently advancing its regulatory framework for cannabis with a Draft Cannabis Bill, consisting of 17 associated regulations undergoing review for the effective implementation of a cannabis industry in the country.
Towards this end, a two-day Cannabis Symposium will be held here on March 19th and 20th, as an open-ended regional policy discussion on matters relating to cannabis. Regional stakeholders will gather to discuss matters pertaining to the establishment of this industry.
Prime Minister Philip J Pierre’s administration has stepped up the campaign towards legalizing the use of cannabis, more widely known as ‘marijuana’ on the island – and, in 2021, legislators passed a bill to allow for the use of 30 grams of marijuana per person, and four plants per household.
Spearheaded by the Ministry of Commerce, Manufacturing, and Consumer Affairs, the government has undertaken the revision and development of a policy, legislation and a regulatory framework for cannabis in Saint Lucia.
“The formation of the Caribbean Cannabis Forum will broaden the discourse and provide ready examples as to best practices based on tested models,” said Senior Legal Officer in the Ministry of Commerce, Dylan Norbert-Inglis.
Ministry personnel and other stakeholders aligned to the establishment of the marijuana industry anticipate a positive impact from the upcoming symposium.
“We hope that any possible challenges will be identified early, so they can be adequately addressed prior to full implementation of Saint Lucia’s Cannabis Legislative Regime,” Norbert- Inglis explained.
The ministry official outlined three major challenges faced by the Task Force in the cannabis movement. These include, addressing sacramental rights within the cannabis industry on a regional level, ensuring market access and securing financing.
“We have a product that is (figuratively) still illegal in the US, though a number of states have legalized,” he said. “And with that, you have issues of international banking, and correspondent banking. We have a number of banks that are now regional banks, 1st National Bank is now a regional bank, and ECFH operates regional banks.”
Norbert Inglis adds that the stakeholders are in a position where they are faced with banking regulations in Saint Lucia, which may have repercussions for the other islands. “So, there needs to be a discussion at the regional level as to how we approach and tackle these things,” he said.
According to ministry officials, this symposium will afford relevant stakeholders and Cannabis authorities within the region an opportunity to hold candid discussions on some of the issues and challenges experienced throughout the region. From these brainstorming and information-sharing sessions, it is expected that an effective plan will be developed to address similar issues in Saint Lucia.
A wide cross section of “established entities” from across the region will attend the discussions, which include representatives from Cannabis Licensing Authority of Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda Medicinal Cannabis Authority, Medicinal Cannabis Authority of Federation of Saint Christopher (Saint Kitts) and Nevis, Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Licensing Authority, Regulated Substances Authority of Saint Lucia, and Medicinal Cannabis Authority of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).
Subsequently, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be signed by the aforementioned parties, guided by a common interest to establish and maintain robust, inclusive and safe regimes surrounding cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, sale and use in the individual states of the region.
This MOU, in effect, will establish the Caribbean Cannabis Forum-a mechanism to encourage and host joint discussions on national, regional or international cannabis matters of relevance to the Caribbean region.
The Draft Regulation to accompany this legislation is under review, said the Cannabis Task Force Public Relations Officer Verne Emmanuel.
“It has been an interrogative process and we are also in the process of publishing some Cannabis Standards from the St Lucia Bureau of Standard’s with regards to quality management in cannabis, the use of cannabis and labelling of cannabis products,” he explained.
Emmanuel said that within the Cannabis Bill, there are specifics relating to “amnesties for the cultivation of cannabis in excess of four plants.
The passage of the cannabis legislation we will see a full regularization of existing modalities, and the need for a declaration to deal with persons not adhering to the law.”