BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, Feb. 05.2018 -THE commission working to determine the way forward for marijuana in St. Kitts and Nevis has been meeting and listening to reports.
Currently, they have completed phase one of the project and is about to embark on the second, according to the Chairman of the Marijuana Commission Dr. Hazel Laws.
“So far the Marijuana Commission has met five times between October 6 and January 26. We have actually finished phase one of our work, in that we have gleaned all the latest information and the evidence regarding marijuana use and its effect on the young brain.”
The Commission was established in April 2017; and at a press conference PM Dr. Timothy Harris said that its main purpose is to follow a commitment to facilitate national engagement on the issue.
Members of the Commission include education officials; health and law enforcement officers.
“We wish that the Commission would conduct or utilize research to guide an exhaustive consultation both in St Kitts and in Nevis on this subject matter and make recommendations for consideration by the Cabinet. I expect a vigorous enquiry into the social, economic, health and legal issues surrounding production and marijuana use in St Kitts and Nevis as a precursor to a determination on the current drug classification of marijuana,” PM Harris said.
Dr. Laws told SKNVibes at the prime minister’s press conference that they facilitated the CARICOM Marijuana Consultative meetings in the Federation on November 16 and that a report has been submitted.
Further, the Chief Medical Officer reminded that they got budgetary allocations, and as a result, are now ready to go on the road to carry out a national prevalence survey among other initiatives.
“We’re going to go and visit the parishes in St. Kitts and Nevis, to engage the people in terms of what they want in terms of legislative changes to their present Drugs Act.”
To that end, she indicated that at the end of those consultations they would be submitting a report to the cabinet summarizing their findings.
That report according to Dr. Laws would include the findings, what the people want and the commission’s recommendations.
No time frame was given for when the final report is expected to be submitted.
