Your medical cannabis journey simplified: find partnered dispensaries, explore pricing options, earn rewards, and get answers to FAQs, all in one spot.
October 30, 2023 08:00 am ETEstimated Read Time: 4 Minutes
In 2018, the leaders of 19 Caribbean nations decided that they would “review marijuana’s current status with a view to reclassification”. The leaders emphasized the importance of these cannabis legalization bills as a tool for social justice and economic gain.
Recently, The Bahamas’ made good on that 2018 promise. The island nation proposed several bills to legalize the use of cannabis for medical, research, and religious purposes. It has also decriminalized the possession of small quantities of cannabis. This adds the Bahamas to the growing list of Caribbean nations with a progressive stance on cannabis, like Jamaica and Antigua and Barbuda.
If authorities approve these bills, Bahamians caught with less than one ounce (30 grams) will only need to pay a $250 fine. Furthermore, the arrest will not even go on an individual’s criminal history. Previous convictions for such possession will be annulled. Most importantly, the use of cannabis for recreational purposes will no longer be against the law.
The Cannabis Legalization Bills and Their Regulatory Framework
The Bahamas’ legalization legislation is the result of years of painstaking research to ensure “that our legislation is in line with international best practices and tailored to our unique cultural and legal context”. The authors of the proposal studied cannabis regulations in other Caribbean communities like Barbados, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as places like Canada.
The legalization proposal includes other bills that outline changes in regulation, pharmacies, and health professions laws. A new regulatory body, the Cannabis Authority, has the task of monitoring all these legislative proposals. The Cannabis Authority consists of nine people, who represent “a faith-based organization, civil society, and one person each from the fields of banking, law, agriculture, scientific research, pharmacy, and medicine.”
The Licensing Approach
The bills contain the framework to regulate cannabis production in the Bahamas. According to government officials, the bills reserve licenses for growing, retail, transportation, and religious use for Bahamians aged 21+. Additionally, research, testing, and manufacturing licenses are reserved for businesses that are at least 30% Bahamian-owned.
These licensing restrictions, Health and Wellness Minister Michael Darville said, secure “…opportunities for Bahamians to participate, and we look forward to their participation.” The Minster stated that the bills could make their way to Parliament as early as October.
See If You Qualify For Medical Marijuana -Select Your State!
‘The goal would be to debate them by the end of this calendar year because there is a lot of work that has to go into setting up the authority,” Minster Darville added. Before the government distributes licenses, it must complete relevant training and certifications and create a digital platform for tracing prescriptions.
The Medical Value of the Bill
These bills open a lot of opportunities for doctors in The Bahamas. They will now be allowed to prescribe medical cannabis to treat conditions like depression, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, and cancer.
Touching on the importance of medical cannabis, Minster Darville had this to say:
‘There are many Bahamians, some who suffer from debilitating illnesses such as end-stage cancers and various forms of depression that are not responsive to clinical therapy…Many Bahamians have been reaching out to the ministry to have access to import these drugs into the country. These bills will make way for Bahamians to access these essential therapies to improve the quality of HealthCare Delivery System.”
The Religious Use of Cannabis
The bill also clears the way for the religious use of cannabis by groups like the Rastafarians. However, interested religious groups will first need to obtain a license to do so. Furthermore, licensed establishments can only permit the use of cannabis within their premises. This guarantees a balance between individual freedom and the need for oversight and regulation.
Mary Ekundayo is a passionate cannabis writer and entrepreneur with a love for all things literary. When she's not creating content, you can find Mary lost in the pages of a captivating book or meditating to set the tone for her day.
Migraines are far more debilitating than typical headaches, often disrupting daily life. More and more people are turning to cannabis to manage their chronic pain, with migraines being the top reason among headache patients. Cannabis is such a powerful tool for migraine and pain relief that many patients even use medical marijuana in place of…
Let’s have a real conversation. Every year, when the Fourth of July rolls around, I see the fireworks and flags and hear all the loud talk about freedom. And every year, I find myself sitting here asking the same damn question: Whose freedom are we really celebrating? Because it sure as hell doesn’t feel like…
Over the last decade, there has been considerable discussion about the future of cannabis. Typically, those conversations center around legality, market size, and social and medical impacts, all of which are interesting topics in their own right. But there has been far less discussion about the digital future of cannabis. With more and more of…
Jared Shaw, a former Oklahoma State University basketball player, has been arrested for cannabis possession in Indonesia. The country’s strict anti-drug laws mean he could be facing the death penalty. Shaw is from Dallas, Texas. He attended Dallas ISD’s Carter High School, where he was District 11- 4A’s Defensive Player of the Year in his…
When Johaness Gutenberg introduced his printing press in the mid-15th century, he sparked a revolution in the way the masses could spread and consume information. For centuries after, the primary way we shared content was through print media, like books and magazines. But when Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989, that all…
The statements made regarding cannabis products on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Cannabis is not an FDA-approved substance and is still illegal under federal law. The information provided on this website is intended for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is not intended as medical advice and should not be considered as a substitute for advice from a healthcare professional. We strongly recommend that you consult with a physician or other qualified healthcare provider before using any cannabis products. The use of any information provided on this website is solely at your own risk.