Caribbean Island of Barbados Considers Medical Cannabis

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]A[/dropcap] medical cannabis bill is currently being considered in The Parliament of Barbados. If passed, this could mean a medical cannabis program for the Caribbean country.

According to Nation News, the medical cannabis bill was presented to Parliament officials on Aug. 12 and is expected to be discussed on Aug. 30. Barbados Attorney General Dale Marshall noted that times are changing, and maybe it’s time for Barbados to follow the world’s progress on medical cannabis. “We have committed to medicinal cannabis because, as a fella said, ‘You gotta go where the science takes you,’ but there is always going to be some pushback,” he said.

Marshall added that he isn’t concerned about issues arising with local churches or with global medical cannabis restrictions. “I don’t think that the churches are against medicinal cannabis,” he added. “The single treaty on narcotics, which is the 1969 United Nations Convention, exempts what would normally be illegal drugs, so long as the purpose is either medical or scientific.” 

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley previously shared plans to put into motion a medical cannabis industry project implementation unit, according to Forbes. At the time, she said it was necessary to share the good news about  “what we are doing with the development of this new industry and how it can help many Bajans in the management of serious medical conditions.”

If Barbados does legalize medical cannabis, it won’t come as a surprise. Many Caribbean islands governments (specifically Jamaica, the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago) have tried to get the U.N. to rethink its stance on cannabis in the past, and some Jamaican legislators seek legalization because of their Rastafarian beliefs. With this new bill, Barbados could be one step closer to implementing a medical cannabis program, which could later lead to full-on legalization.