St. Lucia to Host Regional Symposium on Cannabis

CASTRIES, St. Lucia – The St. Lucia government says it will host a two-day regional symposium on cannabis that could lead to the establishment of a Caribbean Cannabis Forum.

St. Lucia government minister, Emma Hippolyte, tours a cannabis establishment in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (File Photo)The forum is intended to be a mechanism to encourage and host joint discussions on national, regional or international cannabis matters of relevance to the Caribbean region.

Senior Legal Officer in the Ministry of Commerce, Dylan Norbert-Inglis, said the formation of the Caribbean Cannabis Forum will broaden the discourse and provide ready examples as to best practices based on tested models.

“ We hope that any possible challenges will be identified early, so they can be adequately addressed prior to full implementation of St. Lucia’s Cannabis Legislative Regime,” he added.

The Ministry of Commerce, Manufacturing, Business Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs, has described the March 19-20 event as “an open-ended regional policy discussion on matters relating to cannabis.

“This symposium will afford relevant stakeholders and cannabis authorities within the region an opportunity to hold candid discussions on some of the issues and challenges experienced throughout the region.”

The government said that from these “brainstorming and information-sharing sessions” it is expected that an effective plan will be developed to address similar issues in St. Lucia.

It said that representatives from the Cannabis Licensing Authority of Jamaica, the Antigua and Barbuda Medicinal Cannabis Authority, the Medicinal Cannabis Authority of Federation of Saint Christopher (Saint Kitts) and Nevis, the Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Licensing Authority, the Regulated Substances Authority of St. Lucia, and the Medicinal Cannabis Authority of St.  Vincent and the Grenadines will participate in the symposium.

The government said that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be signed by the  parties, “guided by a common interest to establish and maintain robust, inclusive and safe regimes surrounding cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, sale and use in the individual states of the region”.