French Polynesia working on new Cannabis legislation

On Tuesday evening, the President of French Polynesia, Moetai Brotherson, met with Karl Anihia of the association Tahiti Herb Culture, Philippe Cathelain, President of the Polynesian Hemp Union, as well as pharmacists and doctors, to discuss progress on cannabis legislation, which is one of the Tavini Party’s campaign issues. The meeting focused on four main areas of action, with the goal of drafting a new law by «the end of the month» according to Tahiti Infos.

“This is a meeting we’ve been waiting for for a very long time. We had already reached out to President Fritch several times, but we never received a response. This time, a simple request to Moetai [Brotherson] and he met with us as soon as he returned from his trip, which proves his commitment to this issue. He is very aware of the urgency for the sick people who can’t take it anymore. So yes, we’re very satisfied. »He listened to us very attentively and was very pragmatic,” explained Philippe Cathelain after meeting with President Brotherson and his Minister of Agriculture, Taivini Teai.

The agenda included discussions on medical cannabis, as well as other topics such as industrial hemp, CBD, and local CBD products (such as monoi, a hemp-infused oil already sold in Polynesia), and the national bill on recreational cannabis.

Before being elected president, then-Congressman Moetai Brotherson submitted a proposal to the National Assembly of the organic law on the pilot program for the social regulation of cannabis in French Polynesia, which proposed the creation of “Cannabis Clubs”—nonprofit associations aimed at bringing users together to grow cannabis for personal use. The bill was referred to the Constitutional Laws Committee and has remained there ever since.

Tuesday’s meeting was primarily focused on setting a timeline, with the associations scheduled to join the working groups in two weeks. This collaboration represents a significant step forward compared to the previous administration. Karl Anihia explained that the first project will focus on industrial hemp and its applications as a building material, in textiles, and more… The goal is to produce locally what is currently imported, such as hemp-based shampoos. The associations involved clearly have the support of professionals in the cosmetics industry, who are eager to participate.

Moetai Brotherson warned that the discussion on recreational use would be complicated from the outset, noting that «he could not go beyond what France permits,» even though cannabis use is widespread in the archipelago, where 50% of the Polynesian population over the age of 15 uses cannabis.