Legislation to legalize medical cannabis in the Bahamas is near completion, though lawmakers in the tourism-dependent island archipelago appear unlikely to include language for adult-use. On February 5, Hubert Minnis, the country’s Prime Minister, announced a plan to move forward with legislation focused on medical cannabis, one week after establishing a sub-committee of the Bahamian Cabinet of Ministers to develop a plan for its implementation. The sub-committee, which will be headed by Attorney General Carl Bethel, will also deal with the matters relating to the expungement of records for cannabis-related charges. If signed to law, the legislation would allow Bahamians to grow, use, and export medical cannabis. The announcement comes just weeks before the Bahamas National Commission on Marijuana, established in 2018 and tasked with consulting citizens and industry stakeholders in order to make recommendations to the government regarding cannabis policy, is due to deliver its final report on the establishment of a cannabis industry.
Clydeen Mcdonald, Cannabis Wire, 02/08/2021 19:00:00