For the local ‘free-up the weed’ movement in Saint Lucia, March 14 marked a significant step forward—the establishment of the Herbal Medical Cooperative at the Fisheries Complex, Point Seraphine. Chairman of the cannabis movement Mr. Andre De Caires had earlier informed the STAR of the coming of the cooperative, its purpose being to provide an avenue for farmers to come together to sell their produce.
Mr. De Caires attended Thursday’s event and provided further insight. He said the movement had long realized there would be people jumping on the bandwagon in an attempt to try to capitalize on “such a massive industry” so, to protect farmers and “avoid plantocracy” ,the cooperative was the best way forward.
“It’s a win-win situation for everybody,” De Caires declared. “It’s a win-win situation for the government, too, because all cooperatives are audited and they’ll know how much money is coming in to get their taxes. The potential investors are also happy with the cooperative because it means they won’t have to deal with 200 different farmers; they can just deal with one entity. For the farmers themselves, they don’t have to hustle for a market. They can grow their hemp for medicinal oils, and everything they grow, the cooperative will buy.”
Of the over thirty founding members, an eleven-member committee has been appointed to get the cooperative registered. De Caires says the next step will see the Ministry of Agriculture’s cooperative department hosting a minimum of three workshops with the eleven-member committee to educate them on the workings of a cooperative, its responsibilities and related laws.
The first workshop is scheduled for next week Wednesday. When the workshops are completed, registration is expected to follow. De Caires said the word “cannabis” could not be used in the cooperative’s name since it remains illegal. If and when that changes, there may be a name adjustment. –
