The Caribbean polls the population in favor of legalization

The Regional Commission on Cannabis, initiated by CARICOM, the Caribbean Community, a supranational organization comprising some fifteen Caribbean nations, kicked off on Wednesday June 15 in the Caribbean. The commission was set up a year ago to examine the possibility of establishing a legal cannabis distribution system. The commission is made up of academics, lawyers and researchers in various fields such as anthropology and medicine.

These emissaries will bring together local governments, NGOs and non-profit associations to try to facilitate access to all types of consumption. Doctors, pharmacists and school administrators are also invited to the national consultations. All of them will be sitting round the same table to discuss changes that legalization would bring framed.

According to CARICOM's official notes, this process of consultation with community members and stakeholders at a national level must gather the views of the population on the current use of cannabis and its reclassification. It should use surveys, structured interviews, focus groups, village meetings and interviews with a broad cross-section of interest groups in society, including but not limited to researchers, addiction professionals, practitioners, cannabis users and the general public. medical marijuana psychiatrists, young people, police representatives, etc...

What is CARICOM?

CARICOM is an organization similar to the European Union, but adapted to the Caribbean. This community groups together 15 states, and is intended to facilitate trade between them to create a stronger economic market.

The commission examines all the consequences of possible legalization: social, legal and health-related. States like Jamaica have already taken the plunge. In 2015, the Jamaican government created a licensing system for medical use, authorized self-production up to 5 feet and is even talking about of possible full legalization by 2017.

Despite the 1971 United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances, which still classifies cannabis as dangerous, Caribbean leaders are keen to increase the plant's availability. This is why CARICOM is advocating medical legalization as a first step, in order to grant production, distribution and marketing licenses.

The Commission's first stop is Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, before touring the 14 other CARICOM member countries.

Théo Caillart