Fiji fine-tunes legalization of medical cannabis

The Fijian government is continuing its work to establish a legal Fijian tobacco industry. Cannabis.

Trade Minister Manoa Kamikamica confirmed that work on the necessary legislation was underway. This legislation represents the final stage in the formalization of the industry, which should be completed as soon as public and community consultations are completed.

Minister Kamikamica emphasized the importance of a transparent and inclusive process, declaring with local media that many opportunities for public participation will follow once the draft legislation is ready.

However, the government is careful not to speculate on the specifics of the industry until the framework is finalized. «Until there is legislation to discuss, I think it's a little too early to talk about it,» Kamikamica explained.

Nationwide consultations to define the policy framework

A specialist working group, set up in August 2023, has been instrumental in defining the way forward for the Cannabis medicinal products. Over a period of almost two months, the working group carried out 17 national and community consultations, involving 513 participants, including members of the public, private sector representatives and community leaders.

These discussions provided essential information on the socio-economic potential and challenges of a legal Cannabis medical.

The consultations revealed significant public interest and contributed to the development of a policy framework focusing on several key objectives, namely:

• Complete feasibility study
• Facilitating foreign investment in the medical cannabis sector
• Review and amend legislation to take account of this emerging market
• Develop sound policies to ensure effective industry governance

Partnership with Medical Kiwi

Collaboration with Medical Kiwi, New Zealand's leader in medical cannabis, was an important milestone on Fiji's path to legalizing the cultivation of the crop and export of cannabis. The government has signed a three-year memorandum of understanding with the company to establish a framework for cooperation.

Medical Kiwi plans to invest a minimum of FJD 65 million (US$32.5 million) over the next 3 to 5 years. The proposed extraction and manufacturing facility in Fiji aims to achieve Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification, to ensure that products meet international standards for the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical markets.

Although the facility represents a significant investment, Medical Kiwi will still need to comply with Fijian laws and obtain the necessary licenses once the legal framework is in place.