St Kitts and Nevis: Terrance Drew, the Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis participated in the national assembly sitting on November 20, 2023. He presented two important legislations to the assembly for the second reading and saw them being passed into laws.
The legislations in question were the Cannabis (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Medical (Amendment) Bill, 2023. Both the legislations were voted into law during the national assembly sitting.
The two legislations were related to the creation and management of a successful Medicinal Cannabis industry in the country. PM Drew was one of the most notable supporters of creating a medicinal cannabis industry.
He and his team are dedicated to creating a fully functional cannabis industry. The Cannabis (Amendment) Bill, 2023 will allow the responsibility for the Medicinal Cannabis Authority to shift from the Prime Minister.
After the amendment, the authority will come under the authority of the Minister responsible for Agriculture. Additionally, the number of members for the authority will also increase.
Meanwhile, they changed the medical act to change the classification of Cannabis, previously considered poison. The prime minister further announced that they want to use the skills and knowledge of citizens beyond the public service sector.
The government has announced that they cannot be the only ones involved in the process of creating the industry. They have to partner with the individuals who have prior experience in the field.
The partners of the government in this field include the Rastafarian community and other stakeholders. Meanwhile Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew acknowledged that the expertise that the country needs can not always come from the government.
Thus, the government needs to reach out to the experienced persons in the private field. The aim is to bring them in to assist us in developing this industry
The initiative can potentially bring a large number of jobs for the people of the federation. Additionally, the team will also be able to create a brand for the Cannabis industry in St Kitts and Nevis.