Caribbean Cannabis Growers Eye Budding Domestic Sales and Exports
In the Caribbean, a region known for its warm climate and lush greenery, cannabis is becoming a lucrative business. With several countries having legalized the drug for medical and recreational use, the industry is expected to boom. In Antigua, a small island nation, cannabis growers are working hard to develop new strains and establish a domestic market.
Michaelus Tracey, a master cultivator at Pineapple Road, a farm in Antigua, is one of the many entrepreneurs in the region who are passionate about cannabis. He has spent years developing new strains, each with its unique flavor profile and medicinal properties. “We wanted different flavor profiles as well as different effects, but all with a medicinal value,” he explains.
The Caribbean is home to a plethora of legally registered cannabis farms and medicinal dispensaries, where locals and tourists can purchase the drug with a valid medical authorization card. However, despite the progress made, experts believe that there needs to be further liberalization.
Prof. Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, an expert on the cannabis industry in the Caribbean, believes that decriminalization is not enough. “We should just make it legal but regulated,” she says. She adds that the region is a leader in cannabis, with a long tradition of cultivation and knowledge.
The US government’s recent decision to reclassify cannabis as a lower-level drug has sparked hope that the Caribbean can export the drug to the US for recreational use. However, the importation of cannabis into the US is currently illegal under federal law.
Despite the challenges, cannabis growers in the Caribbean are optimistic about the future. In Antigua, the Medicinal Cannabis Authority is working hard to develop a cannabis export industry. “We already have the legal framework in place, a prime geographical location, and an international airport,” says Regis Burton, the authority’s chief executive.
Domestically, high overheads and rules that limit the sale of cannabis to people with medical approval are leaving most of the market to illegal producers. However, the authorities are working to change this by offering a free six-week course to illegal growers who want to enter the market legally.
The liberalization of cannabis in the Caribbean is also having a positive impact on social justice for one community in particular – the Rastafarians. In 2018, Antigua’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne issued a formal apology to the country’s Rastafarians for decades of historic persecution, stigma, and abuse over their cannabis use.
