Caribbean nations consider paths to legalizing, regulating marijuana

Acknowledging the economic benefits of legalizing cannabis, Caribbean nations are looking toward reviewing marijuana’s status as an illicit drug and moving toward regulating it instead.

Heads of state of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) “have agreed that action should be taken at the national level to review marijuana’s current status with the view of reclassification,” with each country going “at their own pace,” according to the Guyana Chronicle.

Potential business ramifications are unclear, but each member state “would determine its own pathway to pursue the law reforms necessary as proposed by the Regional Marijuana Commission,” Jamaica Prime Minister  and CARICOM chair Andrew Holness said, according to the newspaper.

CARICOM represents 15 member nations, including:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Haiti
• Jamaica
• Montserrat
• St. Kitts and Nevis
• St. Lucia
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• Suriname
• Trinidad and Tobago

The group also represents five associate member nations:

• Anguilla
• Bermuda
• British Virgin Islands
• Cayman Islands
• Turks and Caicos Islands