Several members of the Rastafarian community attended the House of Assemebly yesterday during the debate over the bills for legalising marijuana for medical and religious use. Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas moved closer to legalising cannabis for medical and religious use yesterday when parliamentarians debated a compendium of bills in the House of Assembly.
The long-awaited debate came after consultation with interest groups, including the Rastafarian community, pharmaceutical groups, members of a former cannabis commission and the Bahamas Christian Council.
Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said the government was satisfied that its legal team captured many recommendations even if it did not agree with every point interest groups made.
He hailed the bills, saying the Davis administration believes it created a “solid piece” of legislation to create a safe and controlled medical and religious cannabis regime.
Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis made similar comments while contributing to the marijuana debate, saying the bills were “a long time coming” and the product of nearly three years of work.
“I truly believe that this compendium of cannabis reforms represents a significant step forward as we develop a modern Bahamian economy and society,” Mr Davis added.
“We promised the Bahamian people that we were here to make the difficult choices, take on the big issues, and fight the hard fights and we’ve kept our word.”
Dr Darville said there would be chances to bring the bills back to Parliament for critical safety adjustments and to support the operation of the proposed Bahamas Cannabis Authority.
The bills legalise cannabis for religious purposes by allowing organisations to use it as a sacrament after obtaining a licence.
It also sets a regime that would oversee all aspects of medical cannabis regulation by including rules for handling and storing cannabis, managing medical dispensaries and monitoring and evaluating the regime.
Addressing the bills’ medical benefits, Dr Darville noted many Bahamians are battling cancer and other diseases and need alternative treatments for pain management and related issues.
“I have had patients outright say to me, Doc, fix it because I do not want to go to jail, but I am willing to take a chance to bring these products into the country illegally because you do not live my discomfort,” he said.
“Through these bills, many Bahamians with conditions such as chronic pain, Alzheimer’s disease, sickle cell anemia, chronic autoimmune disorders, anxiety, HIV/AIDS, sleep disorders, mental disorders, autism, cancer and many other conditions will have the opportunity to access the therapeutic advantages of cannabis through prescriptions provided by local medical professionals trained in cannabis treatments.”
However, he stressed that medical cannabis is not intended for children, teenagers or pregnant women, though special exemptions will be made in some instances.
“We know that there will be special exceptions, however stringently monitored by the Ministry of Health and Wellness and our chief medical officer because if you search the literature, there is evidence, solid evidence, that the use of cannabis products for epilepsy in children is documented and there will be a special indication for its use in children,” he said.
He said the bills would also bring significant economic opportunities for Bahamians.
The bills decriminalise marijuana possession of up to one ounce, but does not address recreational use of the substance.
Under the bill, cultivation, retail, transport and religious use licences would be reserved for Bahamian citizens 21 years or older or companies that are one hundred per cent beneficially owned by one or more Bahamian citizens.
Dr Darville said this provision ensures that economic gains from the cannabis industry stay “within our borders.”
He said the government would be speaking soon about the hemp industry.
Free National Movement MPs supported the bills but raised several concerns, including licensing requirements for research, analytic testing and manufacturing.
The bill notes that licences could be obtained by entities where one or more Bahamians beneficially own at least 30 percent of the company.
FNM deputy leader Shandenon Cartwright questioned why foreign ownership could not be restricted to minority ownership.
In response, Prime Minister Davis said: “I’m now being reminded that that threshold of 30 percent was benchmarked with the region, and you would find that most of the region would permit foreign entry to, say, 70 percent ownership, a maximum 70 percent ownership, and so to remain competitive, I’m now reminded that is why it is 30 percent.”
Comments
JackArawak 5 months, 1 week ago
you still haven't said if a patient can grow their own 3-4 trees at home or if they HAVE to buy it from your boys.
Empiricist 5 months, 1 week ago
Oh what a tangled web we are weaving for future generations with this major mistake. In the rush to please the druggies the Government is relying on dated information about the effects of this drug and refusing to keep up with the current data and evidence. The recent evidence on the use of marijuana is that it is a poison and it is a gateway drug. In a recent review of the literature, it is reported that this poison alters the brain, leads to addiction, and destroys the user’s ability to lead a normal life. Furthermore, these studies show that the majority of drug addicts began their journey into drug abuse with the use of the drug. Have you ever spoken to a Rastafarian? If you have you will easily recognize how confused, conflated and convoluted is their rationale for using this poison. It is not too late to stop this fall of the precipice into the abyss. Please I beg you.
DWW 5 months, 1 week ago
a totally false statement. Please provide references and support for your silly statements. no one wants an emperor around here mate.
ExposedU2C 5 months, 1 week ago
We already have the corrupt political leadership of the PLP to thank for the horrific scourge on our society of the gaming web shops operated by criminal thugs like Sebas Bastian and Craig Flowers, and now they are doubling-down with yet another horrific scourge they want to inflict on the Bahamian people. I take comfort in knowing these Godless and soulless corrupt idiots are destined to spend their eternal after life in the absolute worst of all possible places.
DWW 5 months, 1 week ago
so you don't ever drink a drop of alcohol ever? a pious attitude is not attractive
ExposedU2C 5 months, 1 week ago
Tell it to the Pope and the many other millions of devout Roman Catholics worldwide who enjoy consuming the blood of Christ (red wine) with the body of Christ (white wafer) during communion at their weekly mass. Sorry to hear that you believe all of these Catholics have a terribly pious attitude that is most unattractive. LOL
JohnBrown1834 5 months, 1 week ago
I think that most of you don't understand the difference between CDC and THC. The CDC is for medical use. It is the THC that gets you high. The products will remove the THC.
Empiricist 5 months, 1 week ago
Sure, right. Please stop the BC . Marijuana is poisonous drug. As a matter of fact one of the most dangerous and addictive. In the same class of fentanyl. Keep fooling yourself that it is harmless and has a medicinal value.
DWW 5 months, 1 week ago
another unfounded unsupported propaganda statement. are you perhaps in the liquor wholesale business and worried about the loss of sales revenue? Do I detect a touch of self interest in these statements?
ExposedU2C 5 months, 1 week ago
Pintard must be daft and politically tone deaf if he continues to foolishly support this cannabis legislation which, in its present form, is clearly intended to open our nation's door to wide spread recreational use of cannabis. Many FNM supporters are extremely disappointed that Pintard seems incapable of realising what will happen to crime in our country once this happens.
DWW 5 months, 1 week ago
Please stop the stupid statements. Please visit any of these countries and the come back and tell me again how it ruined their country. Lets consider Portugal for starters. Countries that have legalized recreational use of cannabis are Canada, Georgia, Germany, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand, and Uruguay, plus 24 states, 3 territories, and the District of Columbia in the United States and the Australian Capital Territory in Australia. Commercial sale of recreational cannabis is legalized nationwide in three countries (Canada, Thailand, and Uruguay) and in all subnational U.S. jurisdictions that have legalized possession except Virginia and Washington, D.C. A policy of limited enforcement has also been adopted in many countries, in particular the Netherlands where the sale of cannabis is tolerated at licensed coffeeshops.[7]
Countries that have legalized medical use of cannabis include Albania, Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Others have more restrictive laws that allow only the use of certain cannabis-derived pharmaceuticals, such as Sativex, Marinol, or Epidiolex.[8] In the United States, 38 states, 4 territories, and the District of Columbia have legalized the medical use of cannabis, but at the federal level its use remains prohibited.[9] just search for the canabis/marajuana wiki on the web.
ExposedU2C 5 months, 1 week ago
You're obviously woke leaning and not very well travelled. Also you're a victim of the misinformation posted on many websites supported by the promoters of recreational cannabis use. Canada under Trudeau's cannabis policies is an utter mess because of his liberal attitude to wide spread cannabis use which has seen in recent years a major uptick in addiction to other illegal drugs accompanied by ever increasing incidents of violent crime across all major metropolitan areas of that country.
killemwitdakno 5 months, 1 week ago
DC STINKS everywhere since. They never iron their clothes or comb their hair. The black schools are all failing.
killemwitdakno 5 months, 1 week ago
Only at practitioners office please.
killemwitdakno 5 months, 1 week ago
You went by the region's rate when the region isn't growing Bahamian weed??? LMFAO
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