The push to establish a regulatory framework leading to the decriminalisation of Cannabis and the formation of a Cannabis industry in Saint Lucia has been a long and slow grind for promoters.
However, earlier this week the Minister for Commerce, Manufacturing, Business Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs Emma Hippolyte said that the issue is far from dead. She addressed the pending cannabis bill when asked of its status by a reporter.
“The whole issue of cannabis yes, for cannabis specifically, what we have now we have a draft bill, a final one we believe that within the next two months we will open it out for public consumption and conversation. And maybe by the end of the year we will present it to parliament,” Hippolyte said.
“We really feel because of the nature of cannabis and the subject matter – we are giving birth to a new industry, that we need to have that conversation in the whole national space so that’s where we are, we have a draft bill,” she added.
According to the Minister, the government has also introduced the Regulated Substances Authority (RSA) to deal with cannabis and other substances.
“You may recall that I came to parliament a few months ago with what we call the RSA, which is a structure to take care of all regulated substances and that would include cannabis, that would include alcohol and a lot of other substances that we think needs regulation. So that structure is in place,” Hippolyte explained.
The Commerce Minister went on to disclose that a specialised board for the RSA has been set up and that interviews for a CEO and Secretary were recently conducted.
“So within the next two weeks you will hear of the appointment of the CEO of the RSA, as well as putting the staffing in place so that you could see the actual roll out of the Cannabis Industry,” Hippolyte said.
Following years of advocacy by several groups including the Saint Lucia Cannabis Movement and the Iyanola Council for the Advancement of Rastafari (ICAR) among others, the island established a Cannabis Commission in 2019. Its mandate was to review the existing cannabis laws and make recommendations on reform.
The Commission submitted a report in 2022 to the Government which then set up a Cannabis Taskforce.
Earlier this year, the Government of Saint Lucia hosted a two-day Cannabis Symposium from March 19 – March 20, as an open-ended regional policy discussion on matters relating to cannabis.
Labour party is about to destroy st Lucia youths. Marijuana is a drug. It wrecks your mind and your body. Every guy who smokes marijuana is a corner guy with little entrepreneurial spirit cause it’s a drug that gets u stoned and non functional. That’s the future this party envisage for this island. And I people back this mess. We don’t need more non functional men in st Lucia, out politics is a reflection of the crap that many are.
When weed was illegal you could have made money but right now every body is planting 4 Trees in their yard so weed not selling
Well, well, well……it’s Toni Macaroni Nicholas (still around ) with another of his infamous impromptus on everything that’s wrong with the governance of the Saint Lucia Party. Oh Toni did you seek therapy for your dislike of Popcorn? There There, there Kartel coming for Jazz Ha ! Watch my mouth. Oh well, whatever steps that are taken to regulate Cannabis is beyond late and forthcoming, many missed out opportunities to established St Lucia Ganja as the highest grade on the world stage, but nevertheless a step in the right direction. With established and rollout regulatory government oversight I am curious to see who will be the beneficiaries of the cannabis industry, many small entrepreneurs and farmers of the product for years, many small cultivators had to play hide and seek against lawmen to break even, many had their livelihoods destroyed and are sitting in jail. The Notion of some this will be detrimental effects on our youth well to them I say social media has had far greater negative influences on our youth, Ganja has been around before the internet so stop acting like it’s something “new” to society……I don’t know what cave they are living in, everyone is puffing for whatever social means that suits them more that ever before parliamentary legislation will just make it open without scrutiny.