Several rounds of public consultations on legislation regulating cannabis and hemp have already been completed, and the government "notes the widespread enthusiasm amongst the public for this new health and economic sector", Governor General Cynthia A. Pratt said yesterday while reading the Speech from the Throne at the Opening of Parliament.
Pratt said the government will introduce a number of bills to help grow and diversify the Bahamian economy.
"New opportunities will be created by legislation regulating cannabis and hemp," she said.
At the end of August, the government released a compendium of 11 cannabis- related bills for consultation with provisions including decriminalizing cannabis under 30 grams, legalizing medicinal and religious use of cannabis, and expunging criminal records for cannabis possession under 30 grams.
Attorney General Ryan Pinder said at the time the proposed legislation is based on the findings of the CARICOM Regional Commission on Marijuana, which released its report in 2018.
That report recommended an end to overly restrictive prohibitions of cannabis, and urged countries to embrace a health rights centered approach through sweeping legislative reform.
The Bahamas Commission on Marijuana in its 2020 report agreed with the opinions of the CARICOM report.
The Cannabis Bill and the associated legislation would create a framework for regulating the cultivation of cannabis as an agricultural crop and allow for certain medical, scientific research and religious uses of cannabis in The Bahamas.
The legislation would allow for doctors to prescribe cannabis for medicinal use to relieve pain and suffering for cancer patients, those with multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and other conditions.
The legislation would also allow for the use of cannabis as a sacrament by followers of the Rastafarian faith when handled under a religious use licence.
The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) promised to address the issue of cannabis in its "Blueprint for Change", its pre-election document.
It committed to encouraging joint ventures in the medicinal cannabis industry.
Former Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis also promised to move forward with legislation for medicinal cannabis, but never did.
The Bahamas National Commission on Marijuana, appointed in October 2018 and co-chaired by former Deputy Commissioner of Police Quinn McCartney and Bishop Simeon Hall, presented its report to then-Prime Minister Minnis on August 31, 2021, two weeks before the general election in which voters removed Minnis and the Free National Movement from office.
A key recommendation from the commission was that the necessary amendments be made to the Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA) that will facilitate the legalization and regulation of cannabis for medical purposes and provide for the proper regulation as it relates to cultivation, processing and distribution of cannabis and cannabis-based products for people prescribed to utilize cannabis for medical purposes.
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