Cannabis Village St Vincent
A “Cannabis Village” was discussed as a potential solution to integrate traditional marijuana farmers into the formal economy and tourism sector of North Leeward, ensuring they benefit from the industry they helped build.
MP for North Leeward Kishore Shallow explicitly mentioned the concept of a “Cannabis Village in Richmond” as part of the government’s plan to explore opportunities for the constituency, during the recent consultation.
The village is intended to ensure that traditional farmers receive “due return” for their investments over the years and to prevent traditional farmers from merely being laborers on the land; instead, the government wants them to be “owners of organizations [and] businesses” that benefit from the industry.
Discussions was initiated by a Rastafarian constituent (“King Ras”), who criticized the meeting for not initially mentioning cannabis despite the presence of both the Tourism and Agriculture ministers. He argued that cannabis is both an agricultural crop and a product with “serious potential” for tourism and history.
Dr. Shallow agreed, noting that:
The current model of decriminalization and medicinal marijuana introduced by the previous administration has not worked effectively for St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He recalled his time on the CARICOM Marijuana Commission (around 2015), which recommended that marijuana be “fully legalized,” a stance he contrasted with the current limited framework.
Minister of Agriculture Israel Bruce added a stern warning to traditional farmers regarding the execution of this vision, stating that if farmers attempt to operate as individuals (“separate camps”), they will fail.
Bruce pointed out that individual farmers cannot afford the necessary infrastructure, such as operating their own testing labs and insisted that for traditional farmers to survive and compete in the medicinal or formal industry, they must “pool [their] resources,” financially and humanly, to form cooperatives or business entities.