The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A marijuana advocate yesterday said cannabis security licences and liberalising dispensaries are key elements that appear to be missing from draft legislation to legalise and regulate the industry.

Terry Miller, chairman of the Bahamas Cannabis Research Institute (BACARI), told Tribune Business that the proposed Medicinal Cannabis Bill 2021 also failed to speak specifically to industrial hemp and was instead focused almost exclusively on medical marijuana.

As for the licence fees for sector participants, he added: “The $10,000 per license price quoted is pretty reasonable. That opens the playing field for a lot of Bahamians to actually participate if you compare it to the gambling licence, which only a few people could actually participate in. So that’s not bad.

“One of the things not circulated in the media was anything about industrial hemp, because what was reported almost seems to speak to industrial hemp, but it steps a little bit out of that area.”

Industrial hemp cultivation has been one of BACARI’s main goals, with Mr Miller praising the value in commercialising industrial hemp due to its multiple uses that range from from clothing to medicine and paper production.

He added: “The report also noted that cannabis products or materials can only be sold on a commercial basis for research or medicinal use, but it says cannabis products and materials. If you’re looking at cannabis products and materials, then it goes further in Section 24 and it says a manufacturing license to allow for processing and manufacturing of cannabis materials, cannabis products or medicinal cannabis. So it’s speaking to different products separate from medicine and it’s saying that you’re only allowed to sell it locally or for research.”

Vowing to review the draft Marijuana Bill for inconsistencies, Mr Miller said that while BACARI has not been invited to discussions around its preparation, he has been assured that once it is tabled in the House of Assembly that his team will be a part of the public consultations.

Mr Miller said: “Even in the licences they listed six categories of licences - cultivation, import, export, processing and manufacturing, research and transport. The thing is the Bill is missing the important part that security plays in the marijuana industry. Security should be a separate licence to itself, because it requires some specific protocols. Every business should have a security protocol.

“Another important part I don’t see is dispensaries. We talk about the doctors writing prescriptions, but prescriptions to who and prescriptions to where? Are they saying every pharmacy is going to be able to sell medicinal marijuana? I don’t think coming out of the gate we should do it that way. I think we need to have specific cannabis dispensaries.”