ENTREPRENEURS eager to enter the marijuana business are calling on the Government to bring legislation which will allow them to do so without fear of being arrested.
The Cannabis Control Bill, aimed at legitimising marijuana retail businesses in Trinidad and Tobago, has been a topic of discussion since the amendment to the Dangerous Drugs Act in December 2019.
The amendments allowed for the possession of up to 30 grammes of marijuana and growing four female plants for every adult in a home.
The bill was sent to a joint select committee (JSC) led by Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi in 2019, which was initially due to report to Parliament in February last year, but there have been some setbacks.
Chairman of the legislative committee and member of the JSC Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat told Sunday Newsday last Thursday the bill is expected to be laid in Parliament sometime after March as the JSC is still accepting stakeholders’ suggestions.
Sunday Newsday spoke with two entrepreneurs, who asked not to be named since marijuana sales and products with cannabis are still illegal. The owner of Haze Bites said she began selling marijuana-laced desserts, but stopped using her cannabis culinary skills after reading the legislation carefully.
“I hope that sales become legal soon. I thought it was legal when the decriminalisation happened, so I started selling. Then when I read the law, I stopped. One of my concerns is that they don’t make it difficult for small business to get involved.”
Marijuana activist and certified cannabis expert Marcus Ramkissoon had the same request.
“I want a fair market with no monopoly. Portugal gave one licence to a foreign company. I want no licence restrictions.”
Ramkissoon, who was instrumental in drafting the bill and other legislation throughout the Caribbean, said TT needed the right regulations in place. He suggested anti-monopoly clauses and social equity clauses, but they were removed. He hoped they would be reintroduced to curb monopolisation of the market by either foreign companies or “one or two local companies.”
“I want those people, poor people are allowed to own businesses in the field.”
The owner of Bakery After Dark said she is in the process of registering her business and, like Haze Bites, wants to come out of the shadows.
“I love baking and love cannabis, so yeah, I decided it was great to mix the two.
“This is a way to help many economies grow. Yes, legalising it will cause the price to drop, but it will help the country in the long run. People will begin to cultivate marijuana and it will save the State money from jailing marijuana users.”
Many of her customers are older people who eat cannabis-containing desserts to combat pain and insomnia. The younger ones mostly buy them for recreational purposes.
Some edible providers are being shut down, as being in possession of large amounts of raw ingredients is still unlawful.
“I want to be able to do my business without fear or judgement and be creative is what I want. I want to do what I love doing without being arrested,” she said, having started her business in 2019.
Based on his experience, founder of CanEx Douglas Gordon said access to capital is a huge stumbling block for entrepreneurs entering the cannabis market.
Financial knowledge is…
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