Government has reassessed its policy position to expand the scope of the proposed cannabis reform plans with the aim of “creating a simplified regulated cannabis framework”.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Senator Kathy Lynn Simmons said today the framework will include “regulating cannabis use and consumption, permitting personal cultivation and commercial cultivation”.
“Thus, instead of limiting the regulatory scheme to medicinal cannabis only, a new scheme is being designed comprising a more-comprehensive regulated cannabis framework that rivals similar schemes in New South Wales (Australia), Canada and parts of the United States,” she said.
The Minister also disclosed that the plan moving forward, may also include setting up public areas for “safe cannabis use” and use the drug to draw in tourists.
Presenting an update in a Ministerial Statement in the Upper House this morning, Senator Simmons also indicated that the corresponding economic benefits will be directly available to individuals with respect to commercial cultivation.
Senator Simmons also said a Bermuda-branded cannabis strain could be developed for export if amendments were made to the Cannabis (Licensing and Control) Act.
That’s a shift from the plan proposed earlier, which focused on legalising medical cannabis and regulations to govern licences for growers and importers.
But that has been revised to provide for a regulatory and licensing regime to regulate the local sale, import, export, dispensing, possession, cultivation, manufacture, research, development and transport of cannabis and medicinal cannabis for “certain purposes”, she said.
The final Act would allow the framework to develop in line with “contemporary influences” of cannabis regulation schemes across the world.
“In time, we can envisage a Bermuda branded cannabis strain being developed for export, and expansions in our tourism offerings to include cannabis-driven marketing, events and dedicated public spaces for safe cannabis use,” she added.
The Minister also stated that Bermuda-branded cannabis strain could be developed for export if amendments were made to the Cannabis (Licensing and Control) Act.
