Dr. Coleen Phillips, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Medicinal Cannabis Authority (MCA), opened the Cannabis 2026 business conference with a call to shift the regional cannabis sector from basic regulatory compliance toward sustainable commercialization and cross-border trade.
Speaking under the event’s theme, “Cultivating Strategic Partnerships for Cooperation and Trade,” Dr. Phillips highlighted the foundational progress achieved since the establishment of the MCA in 2019. Over the past seven years, the regulatory body has implemented licensing systems, conducted site inspections, supported healthcare provider training, facilitated patient access, and established formal mechanisms for traditional cultivators to enter the legal market.
However, Dr. Phillips stressed that regulation alone does not equate to an economically viable industry.
“A license must ultimately lead to a viable business,” Dr. Phillips stated, emphasizing that cultivation must yield quality products capable of accessing legitimate markets to generate employment, income, and long-term economic stability for citizens.
Addressing visiting delegates and regulatory counterparts from Barbados, Antigua, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and Dominica, Dr. Phillips identified common challenges confronting Caribbean jurisdictions, including divergent technical standards, duplicated testing protocols, burdensome authorization procedures, constrained laboratory capacity, and high compliance costs.
To address these hurdles, she urged member jurisdictions of the recently formed Caribbean Cannabis Forum to move beyond exploratory dialogue into decisive regional cooperation and trade alliances. Dr. Phillips argued that unified quality standards and coordinated testing systems must become the region’s primary competitive advantage in accessing international markets.
Turning to the domestic sector, Dr. Phillips affirmed that traditional cultivators remain an indispensable knowledge base for the industry and must never be relegated to spectators. Following recent nationwide stakeholder consultations, traditional farmers voiced critical needs regarding financing, technical assistance, security, duty concessions, and market access.
In response, traditional cultivators organized on October 8 to establish a national association, with their first formal meeting scheduled for November 6. Dr. Phillips pledged that the MCA will actively support this initiative by building commercial linkages connecting growers directly with processors, manufacturers, and prospective buyers.
The three-day Cannabis 2026 program includes specialized panels on legal frameworks and cultivator inclusion, a National Youth Symposium titled “Healthy Minds, Healthy Future,” and an educational catamaran tour along the island’s Leeward coast demonstrating traditional cultivation under regulated oversight.
