21/04/2019
Antigua and Barbuda legalizes Medicinal Cannabis on 4/20
Antigua and Barbuda are enacting their medical cannabis legislation today that legalizes cannabis for medicinal purposes across the twin islands.
The regulations come into effect on 4/20; a term that in the last decade, has almost become synonymous with cannabis itself, with April 20th becoming the unofficial International Day of Cannabis. Many cannabis events, competitions and educational symposiums are now held on this day, leading one to wonder whether officials in Antigua and Barbuda had this in mind when they chose to have their medicinal cannabis Regulations come into effect on this symbolic date.
After a careful selection process in August 2018, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda appointed one of the most highly qualified cannabis consultants internationally: Mr. Marcus Ramkissoon, a medicinal cannabis and cannabis policy expert, boasting over 70 accredited qualifications in cannabis sciences. Mr. Ramkissoon, worked with the government’s Legislative Drafter and Anti Money Laundering Professional, Mr. Ryan Johnson, to create and draft The Cannabis Act, that was passed in December, 2018, and then The Cannabis Regulations, scheduled to come into effect on 4-20-2019.
The authors held three main considerations in mind when crafting the 300 plus page regulatory framework, namely:
Keeping compliant with International Treaty Obligations;
Providing clean, safe cannabis medication for those who need it; and
The disruption of the unregulated market through demand reduction.
The new legislation provides for a tightly controlled and monitored medicinal cannabis industry with 10 categories of Medicinal Cannabis Business Licenses which include: Licensed Cultivation, Extraction and Processing, Infused Product Manufacture, Dispensary, Medical Lounges, Transport, Testing, Research and Development, Import and Export.
To access medicinal cannabis, within a licensed dispensary, patients must obtain an authorised medicinal cannabis recommendation from an authorised medical practitioner or possess an authorised recommendation granted by their home State.
A Government controlled and mandated, tracking and monitoring software, allows for complete chain of command maintenance from cultivator to patient. This lets Authorities monitor as low as 1/1000 of a gram, preventing any diversion to, or inversion from, the unregulated market. Under the new legislation, all financial transactions related to the medicinal cannabis business will also be monitored and recorded.
The program officially commences on 4-20-2019 and application forms can be available as early as Tuesday, April 23rd, 2019, from the Antigua and Barbuda Government Printery, located on Old Parham Road, St. John’s, Antigua.
Enquires may be directed to Mr. Johnson via email at ryan.johnson@ab.gov.ag
