Dominica psychiatrist urges Caribbean to raise legal age for alcohol, cannabis use
Key Points(5)
- A consultant psychiatrist in Dominica is urging the island and other Caribbean countries to consider raising the legal age for alcohol and cannabis use, pointing to recent legislative changes in Trinidad and Tobago.
- Nadia Wallace, of the Acute Psychiatric Unit, said the move could help protect young people from the potential mental health effects of alcohol and cannabis.
- “Alcohol also has a psychoactive component, and it can also lead to, and contribute to, persons having psychosis,” Wallace said, adding that countries should consider increasing the legal age for cannabis use.
- Last week, Trinidad and Tobago’s Parliament approved the Miscellaneous Provisions (Alcohol, Cannabis, Dangerous Drugs, Gambling and Tobacco) Bill, 2026.
- The legislation raises the minimum legal age for purchasing and consuming alcohol and tobacco from 18 to 21, while increasing the age for the sale, purchase, possession and consumption of cannabis to 25.
A consultant psychiatrist at Dominica’s Acute Psychiatric Unit, Dr. Nadia Wallace, is urging Dominica and other Caribbean countries to consider raising the legal age for alcohol and cannabis use, following Trinidad and Tobago’s passage of legislation tightening age restrictions on several substances and gambling.
Wallace said the move by Trinidad and Tobago was commendable and should prompt other countries in the region to consider similar measures, particularly given the potential mental health effects of alcohol and cannabis use.
“Recently, we heard in the news that Trinidad has moved to increasing the age at which, you know, persons are allowed to smoke and drink. I think this is something that Dominica and even the other countries in the region should look into doing,” she said.
Last week, Trinidad and Tobago’s Parliament approved the Miscellaneous Provisions (Alcohol, Cannabis, Dangerous Drugs, Gambling and Tobacco) Bill, 2026. Among its key provisions, the legislation raises the minimum legal age for purchasing and consuming alcohol and tobacco from 18 to 21.
It also raises the minimum age for the sale, purchase, possession and consumption of cannabis to 25 and prohibits people under 25 from gambling.
The legislation further restricts people under 25 from joining registered clubs, except those primarily devoted to athletic activities, and prohibits them from gambling on club premises. Certain violations carry fines of up to TT$50,000, equivalent to approximately US$8,000.
Wallace said discussions about raising the legal age for substance use should extend beyond cannabis to include alcohol, which can also have serious mental health consequences.
“It’s not just marijuana. Alcohol also has a psychoactive component, and it can also lead to, and contribute to, persons having psychosis,” she said.
She urged Dominica to examine the possibility of raising the legal age for cannabis use, suggesting that the country consider setting it between 23 and 25.
Wallace said she understood that the legal drinking age in Dominica was 18 but was unsure whether the country had a specific legal age governing cannabis use.
“I’m not sure if we have one for Dominica, but if we could move in that direction and increase it to at least 23 to 25, that’s when the brain would have enough time to develop,” she said.
According to Wallace, delaying cannabis use until the brain is more developed could help reduce its vulnerability to the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis.
“And when… persons smoke marijuana, because the brain is more developed, it will be less vulnerable to the effects of the THC,” she said. “I think we really need to look in that direction.”
