The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) of nations have embraced a report by their own regional commission on cannabis and intend to rethink the legal status of cannabis, Tom Angell reports for Marijuana Moment.
In a report covering the latest session of CARICOM, the organization decided:
Heads of Government recognised that the current classification of marijuana as an illicit drug presented a challenge in the conduct of research to fully understand and ascertain the medicinal benefits to be derived.
They agreed that action should be taken at the national level by the relevant authorities to review marijuana’s current status with a view to reclassification taking into account all international obligations.
The chairperson for CARICOM’s regional cannabis commission, Prof. Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, took a clear stance on rescheduling cannabis while releasing her commission’s report, The Guardian of Trinidad and Tobago reports.
In the report, Prof. Antoine indicated the correct course was, “a public health and rights approach instead of this criminal law approach where people are criminalised.”
“The medical and scientific evidence is clear that marijuana has substantial value. Thousands of people are being imprisoned especially the most vulnerable and most marginalised in the region.” — Prof. Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Chair of CARICOM’s Regional Marijuana Commission, via The Guardian
Prof. Antoine’s report also indicates that changing the plant’s legal status is necessary, but not removing all constraints on its use. The members of CARICOM have agreed to study cannabis’ current status in law as indicated by the cannabis commission’s report.