CANNABIS advocates are split on the intention of the State to disallow home-grown cannabis to be sold commercially.
Sunday Newsday spoke with two farmers and a certified cannabis expert on the proposed Cannabis Control Bill 2020, which was laid in Parliament two weeks ago. The bill was first brought in October last year and sent to a Joint Select Committee chaired by the Attorney General for review. The bill and proposed amendments are to be debated soon.
One key note of contention will be the plan to prohibit the sale of home-grown cannabis by not issuing a licence to anyone that grows the herb at or near "a dwelling house."
The bill also states that any premises "used and occupied as a place of residence" including complementary out-buildings and adjacent land, constitute a dwelling house and as such the farmer will not be able to enter the commercial market. What this means is that any products from the four plants each adult is allowed to own cannot be sold.
Cannabis activist and certified cannabis expert Marcus Ramkissoon agrees with this proponent of the bill. Ramkissoon, who advised several Caribbean countries, including TT in drafting their marijuana legislation, said the sale of marijuana needs to be properly guided since it remains a dangerous drug.
[caption id="attachment_898912" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Marijuana activist and blogger Nyasha Sadlow with her four marijuana plants. -[/caption]
“If you as the home grower are not going to be standardised, meaning that you do not have to go through the tracking and the monitoring so that we know that you are not taking a gramme and sending it to the black market, you are not going through all that. No camera system and the testing to ensure your product meets the very, very, high standards of this consumable product, then why should you be allowed to sell it?”
Marijuana activist and blogger Nyasha Sadlow said it is not a simple yes or no when it comes to home-growers entering the commercial space.
“I can understand the requirement for a licence to go into the commercial space but what I cannot understand is there being little to no provisions put in place for small scale and home growers to get into that commercial space. What people also need to remember is if they want to have their home grown cannabis on the regulated commercial market, they would most likely be subjected to the relevant environmental and quality control checks that license holders would be subjected to by the Cannabis Authority.”
Freeport farmer Kevin Samlalsingh finds the notion of not involving home growers into the commercial space is selfish.
“I think it is a selfish and an unjust decision to make a law that bans small farmers from legally earning an income. If the government is about fixing things I think they should include the small farmers and maybe set rules and regulations to follow.”
Sunday Newsday also spoke with the CEO of the Medicinal Cannabis Authority in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Jerrol Thompson on how his country entered the commerc
