by Linda Straker
- Intent is to have regulated industry, licencing system and restorative justice
- Awaiting recommendations of Cannabis Legalisation and Regulation Commission
- Commission expected to present findings and recommendations no later than August 2023
Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said that Grenada is yet to identify a niche market for cannabis or marijuana. He is currently awaiting the recommendations of the Commission on Cannabis Legalisation and Regulation which is tasked with undertaking a complete assessment of the pros and cons of legalising the plant.
Rolanda McQueen is the chairperson of the commission which comprises people with a background and working experts in law, medicine, religion, business, and youth development. They began meeting in September 2022 and are expected to complete the assessment and present findings and recommendations no later than August 2023.
Under the Drug Abuse (Prevention and Control) Act it shall not be lawful for a person to cultivate any plant of the genus Cannabis. It is also among the List of Narcotic Drugs Under Control.
“We have not identified a niche market as yet, that is why we have set up a commission or a committee to really do the heavy lifting to really guide us to where we really want to go,” the Prime Minister said in an interview with Grenada Broadcasting Network (GBN) on Monday, 9 January 2023. GBN’s majority shareholder is One Caribbean Media while the Government of Grenada is the minority shareholder.
“Like I said, it’s really about medicinal marijuana or commercial uses of marijuana Having said that, we also recognise as well that it’s a misallocation of resources to criminalise a plant that has the levels of commercial and medicinal uses that I think everyone has accepted it has,” he said in his first media interview for 2023.
The Dickon Mitchell administration was elected in June 2022 on a promise to legalise marijuana, and recently confirmed that legalisation will be for medical use only. He also explained that the intention is for a regulated system where law enforcement does not arrest and charge people for the personal use of cannabis.
“We don’t want to keep on wasting state resources arresting people for a spliff and that sort of things. You know it makes no sense and the police are better off doing proper policing rather than chasing someone for a spliff and so on,” he said.
“At the same time, we don’t want to send the message that this is carte blanche and develop a situation where anyone can grow and consume marijuana as they wish. That is not the intent. Alcohol is regulated, cigarettes are regulated and similarly the marijuana industry will be regulated,” he said.
“The intent is to have a regulated industry, a licencing system but also some restorative justice because at the end of the day, we have to look at those persons who persisted over the years in trying to frankly educate us properly about the plant and in this part of the world it’s the Rastafarian community,” said the Prime Minister.
“Special regards will have to be paid to them and I call it reparative justice with regards to how we have treated with what has happened, these were people who have been criminalised for simple possession of marijuana and all of that. There is some social work, some justice, some legal work there that has to go toward that as well.” Mitchell is also the Minister for National Security.
He also disclosed that his administration will ensure the protection of the population, in particular, the Rastafarians, in terms of the wider financial benefits that will be gained from legalising marijuana for medicinal purposes.
“It is big business and if we don’t craft a homegrown solution and we simply open up, then what will happen, people with money are going to come, they will probably acquire lands and probably outplant and outproduce our local people, and so we want to make sure that production in particular stays in the hands of Grenadians,” he said.
To add, Mexico has become very violent and as a result, may lose of the tourist. Southern Caribbean Islands governments are sitting on their hands. While further south has longer air travel, tourists always want safe place to bask in the sun.
There is a great opportunity to invest in several 100 rooms 4 stars hotels.
Cancel CBI and invest tourism….
Look at the USA’s model of their cannabis business. Well controlled growers and dispensaries. Taxed by the government making millions of USD. The people are happy with the system as are the growers and business owners. They eliminated black market by offering very high quality products including edibles for those who do not wish to smoke it.
Grenada is far behind other countries and hence losing much income. Visitors, 21 and older would spend much money to visit a dispensary as opposed to buying low quality ganja from a Rasta on the beach peddling spleefs.
As a Canadian I can say after 5 years of legalised cannabis we have not had an increase in disorder or any other social problems due to legalization. We still have a black market because of excessive government red tape and regulation of the legal market and the fact the pre-legal market growers were shut out of the process. Those who saw this as a path to easy riches have failed to see their fortunes. Good luck Grenada in taking this step to a saner policy
You must protect the market NOT just the growers as far as it being Grenadians owned. The markets are where you will earn the money not in the growing as is seen with praedial larceny on Grenada already. What security, quality control, cleanliness will you legislate??
Adults should be able to grow 1-2 marijauna plants without criminal penalties.
Increase the legal age of consumption to 21.
Grenada has too many uncle Toms who perpetuate self hate.
This is a waste of energy and time. The government dont want to allow recreational use, but there is ZERO possibility of a viable local industry based on local medical use and they are not going to be able to compete with countries that have properly legalised and taxed all use.. Sure it can be imported at acceptable cost, but if the hope was to create a local industry this can only be viable if there is a local market, and thats just not going to happen if its medicinal use only, unless of course its all just a sham to allow growing and selling for other reasons ‘under the table…’ St Vincent must be laughing.