Saint-Christophe-et-Niévès wants to speed up the development of medical cannabis

Saint-Christophe-et-Niévès a legalize medical cannabis in 2019. Since then, the Caribbean nation has made no progress on its regulation, a fact regretted by Prime Minister Terrance Drew, who told the St Kitts-Nevis Information Service that the country was lagging behind other Caribbean countries in the development of a medical cannabis industry.

«Antigua is ahead of the curve, St. Vincent is ahead of the curve, Jamaica is ahead of the curve, and we know that people go to these countries because they have a well-controlled, well-monitored industry ... that allows the use of cannabis. So we'll be on that path, and we'll see a lot of action in that area in the first year,» said Terrance Drew.

The Prime Minister added: »We've set up a Marijuana Commission, which will start work in earnest to help us achieve this goal. We will then take steps to erase criminal records of those convicted of cannabis possession. We believe that this should not be used as a means of limiting people's advancement in their own lives, and we will therefore put in place the necessary legislation to achieve this.»

In addition, Prime Minister Drew has made it clear that his administration will ensure that it is the citizens and residents of St. Kitts and Nevis who benefit first from the establishment of this industry.

He said: «Right now, we don't see outsiders necessarily coming in to dominate this industry. This industry must be developed by our people. We will not make that mistake, and that's why we will, of course, meet with those who are involved in this industry and find ways to make sure that they are part of it... I would say that right now, the goal is to make sure that local producers are protected [and] that our people are protected within this industry.»

In Jamaica, the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) was created in 2015, with a specific role in establishing and regulating the legal cannabis and hemp industry.

The French medical cannabis from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was created by the Medical Cannabis Industry Act of 2018.

On June 14, 2021, the government of Antigua and Barbuda, through its Medicinal Cannabis Authority, delivered the first official license for the production of medical cannabis. The first license was issued to Grow Antigua - a hybrid public/private company that includes the government, Rastafari communities and private enterprise as central stakeholders.

In parallel with its legalization of therapeutic cannabis in 2019, Saint-Christophe-et-Niévès decriminalized non-medical use up to 56 grams per person.