SVG to draft bill on use of medical marijuana

St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is poised to enter the race to capitalize on the growing popularity of medical marijuana, but details on what form the local industry will take are left to be seen.

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves declared on Tuesday, at a press conference at Cabinet Room, that in the early part of 2018, it is his intention to have a Bill in Parliament addressing the issue of medical marijuana.

“I am hopeful that by the end of the first quarter, that we should have in the Parliament a Bill addressing the question of medical marijuana,” he announced.

However, the Prime Minister made it clear that this did not mean a decriminalization of the drug for any other purpose.

“Notice I am not talking yet about decriminalization of small quantities, recreational, religious use…that’s a longer debate and discussion.”

Gonsalves divulged that he believed the use for medical purposes would be less contentious.

“On medical marijuana, I don’t see any controversy there; I mean, there may be the odd person here and there.”

He further stated that while the narcotic properties of the plant may be abused, there are beneficial properties that may be used.

This comment stems from how medical marijuana is cultivated, as a great deal of the medicinal properties do not come from the ‘psychoactive’ element which makes a person ‘high,’ in the strains ‘cannabis sativa’ and ‘cannabis

indica’. Instead what are called ‘cannabinoids’ are extracted and placed in pill form.

“I want us to put this matter of medical marijuana as an industry, centre and up front,” the Prime Minister stated, “and I want to see foreign investment in it, and I want to see domestic investment in it, because we have to have the marketplace, with the entities responding to the market.”

He said many reputable overseas entities had already contacted the Government, but no local business people, although continuing that “the Government clearly has a role to play in facilitating local entities which want to be in such an industry.”

Gonsalves gave no further details as to the contents of the Bill, saying that he did not want to go into the particularities, only revealing that “a regime would have to be put in place for growing it under secure conditions.”

Therefore, it cannot yet be said whether, like early legislation in California, where medical marijuana has been legal for some time, there will be an allowance for patients with prescriptions to possess a small amount of the drug without repercussions, or whether Government will seek to implement a licensing system for entities to produce medical marijuana. In the absence of information like this, it remains unknown how far SVG still has to go before the industry comes to fruition.

This is coupled with the fact that larger countries already have a head start, Australia announcing just this Wednesday its intention to begin exporting medical marijuana as the second step to its strong domestic market.

Although ironing out the details still need to be completed, the Prime Minister gave the assurance that the Government is serious about the venture.

“The Government is serious about it (medical marijuana), because I think there is a unanimity in the country.”(KR)