BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – The Barbados government will soon develop a framework for medical cannabis, while noting that decriminalization of marijuana for recreational use will have to be decided by a referendum.
“There is no doubt that we will put a framework in place for medical cannabis within the next week or so. In fact, we have more or less taken a decision, we just need some refining and training with practitioners,” Prime Minister Mia Mottley said, adding that the island could no longer afford to miss out on the emerging cannabis industry.
Decriminalization won’t be taken carelessly
Addressing business leaders here on Friday, Mottley said Barbados would not be going about the decriminalization of marijuana carelessly, adding that careful research would guide her administration’s position.
“Barbados cannot do that without anybody else doing it in the region,” Mottley said, noting that Bridgetown would have to be strategic and develop the country as a global leader in the research along with other global leaders in cannabis including Jamaica.
Must not make the mistakes of history
“We need to recognize that we must not make the mistakes of history. With respect to the cannabis, why would we seek to export when we can package and extract maximum value by having clinics as well as recuperative villages for people who want to deal with a certain aspect of pain management?
“So that the whole value-added chain is delivered here, and the area in which we do it which is tourism, and that gives you a long-stay tourist,” she said.
“Thirdly, you cannot have your primary market which is Canada, the international business and financial services sector moving rapidly into new areas of investment and you can’t match as a domicile, the ability to accommodate those new areas of investment because if you don’t what are they going to do? Go elsewhere,” she added.
Mottley told the business leaders Friday that there would be clear strategic guidelines for Barbados on how to devise a policy that puts this country in a competitive position in the cannabis industry.
An opinion poll conducted in several Caribbean countries including Barbados by the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Research Services (CADRES on the issue of the decriminalization of cannabis found that more than 45 per cent of Barbadians were in favor of decriminalization.
