Branville McCartney
• Argues $10,000 licence ‘cost prohibitive’
• And will force out the ‘average Bahamian’
• Voices hope legislation ‘not election ploy’
By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A former Cabinet minister yesterday voiced fears that the $10,000 medical marijuana licence fees are “cost prohibitive” and will restrict entrepreneurial participation to “the privileged few”.
Branville McCartney, who campaigned on legalising a medical marijuana and industrial hemp industry when he led the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) into the 2017 general election, told Tribune Business that the three-year non-refundable licence fees set out in the draft Medicinal Cannabis Bill 2021 will “restrict the average Bahamian from becoming involved”.
Marijuana cultivation, import, export, manufacturing, research and transportation licences will each attract a $10,000 fee, with $1,500 extra for each additional vehicle beyond the first three for the latter. Mr McCartney urged the government to rethink these sums to give Bahamian entrepreneurs “a fighting chance” and spread the potential economic gains as wide as possible.
“That’s prohibitive for Bahamians who wish to become involved in the industry, so to speak,” he argued of the licence fees. “That makes it very prohibitive for the average Bahamian who, I think, should be the ones intimately involved in this process.
“You would only have the few who pay that without feeling it. It’s very restrictive; it restricts the average Bahamian from becoming involved. There are quite a number of Bahamians who I’m sure would want to get involved in this business, but it cannot be prohibitive.’
“It just makes the licence available to certain persons,” Mr McCartney added. “This should be used as an opportunity for the government to show that they are looking out for the average person, and allowing them or giving them an opportunity to become entrepreneurs in this business, and not for the privileged few. Those fees are quite prohibitive and onerous, especially if they are non-refundable.”
All medicinal marijuana players must first obtain the necessary licences according to the segment they are participating in. Applicants must be either a Bahamian aged 21 years or older, or an incorporated legal entity, with the former required to produce a police character certificate proving they have never been convicted of a criminal offence.
They must produce evidence that they either own, or have a valid lease, for the premises from which they are operating, along with “a survey plan of the land, prepared by a registered and licensed land surveyor, comprising the premises or on which the premises are situated”.
All employees must produce a police character certificate, and the applicant must submit “a description of the security measures at the premises” from where they will be operating.
Mr McCartney said his concerns involved not just the licence fee, but some of these other requirements which he argued will cost “tens of thousands of dollars” to implement.
“These requirements I have no difficulty with,” he explained, “but with that fee it makes it very cost prohibitive. The licence fee ought to be looked at, and considered in light of all the other requirements that are going to be necessary for the average entrepreneur to have a fighting chance to participate in this industry.”
The ex-DNA leader also urged the government to rapidly follow through on implementing the legislation whenever it was passed by Parliament, as he voiced misgivings that it could yet become “an election ploy” and ultimately suffer the same fate as the Freedom of Information Act.
The government has only now, after multiple years and administrations, made moves to start enforcing the latter legislation. “I would hope that this is not akin to the Freedom of Information Act that was introduced some time back,” Mr McCartney said.
“Nothing happened, this administration came into office, and nothing really happened until recently in terms of putting it into action. I just hope the Bill is not something to appease the public as we go into a general election. I just hope they can work post haste to get this implemented so we can start building an industry and help these young men and women charged with possessing small amounts of cannabis to have their records expunged.
“That has hindered so many from their education, travelling and trying to get a job. It will be significant if the government can act on that quite quickly. I hope it’s not an election ploy.”
Mr McCartney described the legislation as “long overdue”, and said: “I’ve always said this can be an industry in and of itself. I think it can be huge. The medical marijuana enhances medical tourism, persons from around the world coming over and participating and being treated in The Bahamas.
“It would enhance our tourism industry by way of medical tourism. There’s no better place to come. It was needed years ago. Quite frankly, had this been implemented years ago our economy would be on a better footing than it is today.”
Suggesting that The Bahamas follow Canada’s medical marijuana industry model, Mr McCartney added; “We have to tweak it for The Bahamas, but we have a successful model to follow which can be implemented in this country.
“Canada is right there. Why reinvent the wheel when we have a wheel that is turning and generating profits and enhancing an economy?”
Comments
WETHEPEOPLE 3 years, 7 months ago
I agree, this should be an opportunity for Bahamians. We dont need any foreign investments or any coaching on how to grow weed. Create some wealth for the everyday man
C2B 3 years, 7 months ago
You are right, but the quality required for the tourist market drives up the cost of production. To replace the $100 a pound crap on the streets, that will be easier.
tribanon 3 years, 7 months ago
Wanna be heard McCartney wants all of us to have the ability to sell 'medical' ganja on any street corner. Small wonder this politically inept twit never knew which political hot buttons should and should not be pushed. lol
WETHEPEOPLE 3 years, 7 months ago
We should be allower to sell it on every corner. Not a big fan of the man, but im a fan of any pointnog view that will stop locking up my fellow bahamains for marajuana, ganga, dope or di herb.
newcitizen 3 years, 7 months ago
It is already sold on every corner. Nothing will change except the politicians will now be able to own the companies that used to be criminal gangs.
carltonr61 3 years, 6 months ago
😂
John 3 years, 7 months ago
This train has already left the station and the average Bahamian has been not only left standing in the station with an empty bag, but if he even attempts to hop on the marijuana train, he can find himself slapped with hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines and /or spending the rest of his life in jail. And you thought this heartless government would have learned from the highly discriminatory Casio license and regulations and the hurdles the Web Shop owners had to go through to get a license and now to stay in business without Brit taxed into oblivion. Not fully in support of legalization of recreational marijuana but reality is that is already in common use. One would have thought government would have eased the restrictions to reduce the crime associated with it. But seems like the government went into the opposite direction and not only will many more Bahamians find themselves going to jail for marijuana possession, but some will be going for 30, 40 even 50 years and will never ever see the light of day ago. Obviously whoever advised government on this portion of the bill directed this specifically at Bahamians. And this seems to be a more intense extension of America’s FAKE war on drugs )marijuana). Which is actually a war on Black people, males especially in America’s own country , in this country and throughout the Caribbean.
John 3 years, 7 months ago
Let’s see if government is really sincere and increase the penalties on persons who smuggle or sell alcoholic beverages and cigarettes without licenses and without paying proper duties.
SP 3 years, 7 months ago
Branville McCartney is 100% right on this one! However, no need to worry about it being used as“an election ploy” because people have totally lost all trust in the FNM and PLP promises.
Anything Minnis brings to the table at this point will seen as an attempt at trickery! Both parties used the Freedom of Information act just before elections to fool voters. People are insulted that Minnis think we are stupid enough to fall for the same play book as Ingraham and Christ.
Minnis will have to actually produce these promises prior to the election! People aren't falling anymore promises!
Bobsyeruncle 3 years, 7 months ago
Just how many medical marijuana businesses can The Bahamas support?
If everyone and his/her dog gets into the business, there will be no-one to sell it to. I'm not sure how big the market is for legally exported weed at the moment, or more importantly what the international laws are for export, so sales might be restricted to those living here.
Don't forget, even though recreational marijuana is legal in many US states, it is still not legal federally, which means you can't export it into the US or move it from state-to-state.
C2B 3 years, 7 months ago
Currently you need to achieve a Good Manufacturing Practices standard, to import in to legalized markets like Canada or Germany. Not many well funded, technologically advanced, expertly staffed, licensed producers have achieved this around the World so i think it may be some time before we export.
carltonr61 3 years, 7 months ago
Like Brave, he is spinning on minnis' top. Says a lot of nothing. Bahamians are Palestinians caught in a racist aparthied war with our Judas leader. He has betrayed us.
DWW 3 years, 7 months ago
wow
carltonr61 3 years, 7 months ago
He was not born when Bahamians, tourists and his elders pushed the crown to spare a poor boy a joint. Framework for legalization runs through aparthied Judas elite millionaire hands and fk all Bahamians.
carltonr61 3 years, 7 months ago
Weed, a criminal subculture subdued, scorned and criminalized all of our lives has flipped. Now it has become the business of choice for the State and its elite monies sweethearts leaving life time proponents of Marijuana to drown in a locked jail come high tide or legalization. The State has suffocated 99% the everyday man in an act of betrayal on behalf of 0.005% to hold control and be able to legally use weed. This is state sponsored discriminatory neo-aparthied of the highest order that acorns our people and stumps control out of the spines. 00.005% wishes to control the whole Marijuana bubble with zero wiggle room and strangulation of the masses. This is insanity and against good governance and wholehearted goodwill.
DWW 3 years, 7 months ago
I thought the whole point was to stop spending hundreds of millions of dollars of government money on the policing and incarceration of offenders not to mention the extremely limited court time in the Bahamas. Minnis could literally save the Bahamas Government annual expenditure Hundreds of Millions of Dollars by completely decriminalizing the stuff. He just about to borrow a Billion dollars to prop up the country overhead. it is a no-brainer and the only ones opposed to this are the ones making lots of money on the status quo.
carltonr61 3 years, 6 months ago
Many politicians, lawyers, accountants and doctors smoke Marijuana. They and their children sure don't government have records on their adult decisions on how much they use and when. Big gambling brother must be crazy.
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