NASSAU, BAHAMAS — While Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said last week that he hoped to bring the marijuana bill to Parliament this week or soon thereafter, he was unable to say yesterday when the bill could be tabled in the House of Assembly and made public.
According to a recent draft of the Medicinal Cannabis Bill, which was leaked to the media, medicinal cannabis would only be allowed to be used in a private residence of a medical facility, and it would be considered to be an offense for an approved patient to smoke the plant outside these areas.
The bill outlines the framework for the medicinal cannabis industry in The Bahamas and would decriminalize possession of small amounts of the substance, as well as create licenses for transport, import, export, research, cultivation, retail and processing of the plant.
After viewing the body of veteran broadcaster and former Cabinet minister the late Sir Charles Carter, who lied in state in the House of Assembly yesterday, the prime minister was asked about the legislation and how soon it could be tabled in Parliament.
According to the prime minister, the bill has yet to be finalized.
He confirmed that the final bill will solely focus on medicinal cannabis.
“Just like we did with the National Drug Plan where they had specific committees that monitored disease processes so that new diseases can be added to the list of the requirement for marijuana,” Minnis said.
“And we would have a specific committee to ensure that even the physicians, who are involved in prescribing that as a medication, will go through special training and understanding, so there will be no abuse or mishandling.
“It will be handled almost similar to narcotics.
“As you know, as a physician, we can only prescribe a certain amount of let’s say morphine, cocaine, etc., and that is to monitor the situation so that we don’t end up in a situation where individuals or physicians themselves abuse it.
“So, we’re looking at it very closely.”
Asked when the bill could be tabled in the House, the prime minister said he could not say.
“At this point in time, obviously you know we’ve gone through a process already in the House of Assembly and we would be doing the budgetary items at this point in time,” he said.
“So, we would meet as a grouping — ministers, parliamentarians — and we would prepare to present our budget and our future plans for the Bahamian people and we would be specifically concentrating on delivery; making at least about $50 million annually for young people and for Bahamians at large, so that they could use that to invest and start their entrepreneurship and businesses they want to.”
Last week, Minnis told Eyewitness News that an earlier version of the Medicinal Cannabis Bill, 2021, had been revised to include dispensaries as one of the distribution sites for cannabis — a provision that would see greater Bahamian participation and ownership.
An earlier version of the Medicinal Cannabis Bill, 2021, provides for the establishment of a Medicinal Cannabis Authority, which would develop policies and guidelines to regulate the medicinal cannabis industry and issue various licenses.
A citizen of The Bahamas must be 21 or over to apply for a license to handle cannabis, according to the earlier draft.
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