The Position Paper "For inclusive business models, well designed laws and fair(er) trade options for small-scale traditional cannabis farmers” produced by The Fair(er) Trade Cannabis Working Group aims to contribute to the debate on finding sustainable and realistic solutions to the challenges posed by the developing cannabis industry, with a special focus on traditional and small scale farmers.

Across the world, the state of environmental stress is unprecedented. As scholarship and activism on ‘environmental justice’ points out, poorer and marginalised communities face particular exposure to environmental harms. This holds particularly true for populations in the global South. The role of illicit drugs in relation to these environmental stresses is an underexplored terrain. Yet, as this report will argue, drugs, as well as the policy responses to them, are an environmental issue.

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Rastafarians in Barbados will be permitted to use cannabis for sacramental purposes. The announcement was made during a Sitting in the House of Parliament by Attorney General Dale Marshall during the debate on the Medical Cannabis Bill (2019). Marshall admitted changes needed to be made to the way government treats religious use of cannabis considering it does not fall into the category of recreational or medicinal. He also pointed to the legal precedent based on cases in Antigua and South Africa where the court acknowledged it was an infringement on the constitutional rights of Rastafarians to criminalize them for using cannabis. (See also: Rastas to bring cannabis case against Barbados government | Ras Simba wants AG to allow ganja use for all)

The Saint Lucia government’s point man on cannabis, Commerce Minister Bradley Felix, has announced that authorization has been given to draft a legislative and regulatory framework for cannabis. However, Saint Lucia is still “quite some ways away from having anything on the books.” The framework will include looking at personal, religious and medicinal use, as well as scientific research and also to setting up a sort of a licensed regime to govern the industry. Authorization was also given to look into the expungement of records of people who had been incarcerated, charged with amounts less than 30 grams, without having a violent attachment to it. Full legalization has not been agreed upon. It remains unclear when the draft framework will be completed.

Over ten months since the Saint Lucia government announced the formation of a Cannabis Commission, a report has been presented to the cabinet of ministers for a decision on the way forward. Mandated to “consult and provide advice on the design of a legislative and regulatory framework for cannabis”, the commission was chaired by Michael Gordon QC. From November-December 2019, the commission hosted a total of seven town hall meetings throughout the island, and also embarked on a social media campaign. The government’s point man on cannabis Commerce Minister Bradley Felix said that the criminalization of cannabis— which costs $3.6 million— has been ineffective in reducing related use.

Director of the Cannabis Licensing Authority, Delano Seiveright, encouraged European stakeholders to continue to pursue further cannabis-related reforms in their respective countries as it will, in part, assist “small developing states like Jamaica to further deepen its cannabis liberalisation efforts so as to bring much-needed benefits to small traditional farmers who are suffering from marginalisation due to complicated laws and regulations brought on by geopolitical realities, and to foster growth and development in emerging market economies”. Much more is needed to be done to ensure the full incorporation of small traditional players who need to be brought into the regulated environment. (See also: CLA director lobbys Europe to push cannabis reforms)

The smokable cocaine market was established decades ago, and is definitely not a new phenomenon. Rather than disappear, it is undergoing a slow expansion: from constituting a rather localized and isolated habit in the Andean region in the 1970s, its reach has extended in all directions, throughout North and South-America, including the Caribbean and Central American regions. Societies in the Americas have coexisted with smokable cocaines for over four decades, but - surprisingly - there is a dearth of research on the development of the market, or much first-hand evidence of how this substance is actually commercialized and used by millions of people in the region.

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The St Kitts-Nevis government said it would table legislation in the Parliament allowing for the regulated and controlled use of marijuana for medicinal, scientific, religious and recreational purposes amendmending the Drugs (Prevention and Abatement of the Misuse and Abuse of Drugs) (Amendment) Bill, 2019. “The far-reaching legislative amendments come after the Cabinet established a National Marijuana Commission to ascertain the views of citizens and residents on cannabis use,” noting that the consultations, which were chaired by the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Hazel Laws, had “found unanimous agreements for the decriminalisation of marijuana in the Federation”. (See also: St Kitts-Nevis review of Cannabis laws reflect changing view)

Chairman of the Cannabis Movement of St Lucia, Andre De Caires, has welcomed Jamaica's decision to give the green light to the so-called Ganja Bill, but chided authorities in St Lucia for dragging their feet on the issue. “I feel more angry than vindicated,” De Caires told reporters adding that he had been advocating for years for the decriminalization of marijuana here, to no avail. Pointing to the current economic challenges facing St Lucia, he said that decriminalizing marijuana could be this country’s salvation.

The St Vincent and the Grenadines Parliament has amended legislation that would make smoking two ounces (56 grammes) or less of marijuana a ticketable offence, if the offender admits to the crime. Under the new law, a person who is in possession of up to two ounces of marijuana cannot be arrested, cannot be jailed, and would not get a criminal record as a result. The law also makes it legal for persons to use the drug in their home or at places of Rastafarian worship. If the new law gets the approval of lawmakers, possession of up to two ounces of marijuana is still a criminal offence, but the maximum penalty that the court can impose is EC$500 dollars. (See also: Contradictions in new ganja law — Friday)

St Vincent and the Grenadines has become the first Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) member to pass legislation allowing for the decriminalisation of marijuana for medicinal and scientific purposes. Parliament approved two pieces of legislation that also allows for the production of the crop under a tightly controlled framework. Agriculture Minister Saboto Caesar, who piloted the measure, said that it would end many of the sufferings people had endured in the illegal marijuana trade. Lawmakers also approved the Medical Marijuana Amnesty Bill amidst calls by the Opposition and some members of the Rastafarian for the Ralph Gonsalves Government to go the full length and legalise small portions of the plant for recreational use.

Cannabis guru Ras Iyah V says the time has come for developing nations, including those of the Caribbean, to collectively lobby the US to strike cannabis from its Controlled Substances Act. “It is important for Jamaica to align itself with Third World countries, starting with the Caribbean, because you have all of these Caribbean countries that will be embarking on a cannabis programme, who have gone as far as amending their laws to be establishing an industry in their respective countries.” St Vincent and the Grenadines Minister of Agriculture, Saboto Caesar appealed for CARICOM and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States to partner in the development of standards governing the negotiation of cannabis trade agreements for their member states.

Two years after the presentation of the 2018 CARICOM report “Waiting to Exhale - Safeguarding our future through responsible socio-legal policy on Marijuana” at the CND, this years’ side event the organizers would like to share insights on progress made, regarding the public policies on cannabis and the development of a medical cannabis industry in the Caribbean region.

A bill to decriminalize low-level marijuana possession in Trinidad and Tobago, the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2019, was approved by the nation’s House of Representatives. The recently introduced legislation would remove criminal penalties for possession of up to 30 grams of cannabis. A fixed fine would be imposed for possession of more than 30 but fewer than 60 grams, and it would not impact an individual’s criminal record if the debt is paid. The proposal would also provide a pathway for expungements of prior cannabis convictions and allow individuals to cultivate up to four plants for personal use. (See also: House passes cannabis amendments)

More changes to the law on cannabis could be in the works, the Minister of Social Development and Sport in Bermuda has signalled. Michael Weeks said that more discussions on the island’s attitude to the drug would take place — with further liberalisation of the law not ruled out. Mr Weeks said: “Legalisation is something that’s going to have to be talked about and may have to be sooner rather than later. There’s an almost worldwide trend. Right now, here, it’s medical use, but some countries have legalised for recreational purposes.” Two licences have been issued to local doctors to prescribe the drug for medical reasons. Parliament approved the decriminalisation of 7g or less of cannabis last December.

Jamaica’s decriminalisation of ganja in 2015 brought with it many expectations, one being the ability to export its hi-grade herb. With a relatively small marketplace (a 2016-2017 Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey says 17 per cent of Jamaicans use ganja), investors are eager to expand their market base beyond Jamaica’s 2.9 million citizens. Given Jamaica’s ideal growing conditions and its reputation for producing high-quality varieties, with potentially unique medicinal applications, a licensed producer would have a field of endless opportunities if it developed an international market for its strain. Intellectual property rights protecting that strain would also allow the producer to maximise its earning potential.