[dropcap]A[/dropcap]nother country is gearing up to legalize marijuana. By the end of summer, Canada will see the legislative change take effect, making medicinal recreational and commercial use of the herb no longer a criminal offence. On Tuesday April 17, Antiguan Prime Minister Gaston Browne also made headlines when, at the request of Saint Lucian activists, he issued a public apology to the Rastafarian community for their suffered discrimination at the hands of authorities on account of marijuana use. Browne, the first Caribbean Head of Government to do so, said: “The prohibition of cannabis less than 100 years ago was prompted not by altruistic motives or concern for the health or well-being of users, but to serve the racist, political and economic interests of the global powers at that time.” The Antiguan government has confirmed the passing of a Cannabis Act that will regulate the use of marijuana in Antigua and Barbuda by late 2018.
Gaston’s statements came also in the wake of the Saint Lucia Cannabis Movement’s public address last week that indicated steps taken towards legalization here. When the Cannabis Movement in March of 2017 noted that the government had not allocated funds for research and the facilitation of related legislative changes, responsibilty fell on the movement’s membership. The group gathered a coalition inclusive of a legislative draftsman, medical doctors and community Rastafarians to plan the way forward. After months of consultation and careful analysis, the group successfully formulated and presented its recommendations to the relevant authorities.
The group also drafted a proposal for cannabis regulation. Details of the document include: lists of activities to be regulated, namely importation, exportation, harvesting and quality control, as well as legislative tools such as cultivation, vendors and processing licenses, to regulate these activities.
The Cannabis Movement held its 5th annual 420 march in Soufriere on Friday, April 20. Its members stated, in advance, that this time around they were not marching in protest, instead the march was strictly celebratory and in relation to hitting milestones.
