St Lucians will be allowed to possess 30 grams of 'cannabis'

St Lucia: The Drugs (Prevention and Misuse) Act will be amended in St Lucia national Parliament sitting to decriminalise the possession of cannabis, which will commence at 10 am on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Philip J Pierre said that government would amend the Drugs (Prevention and Misuse) Act to decriminalize a maximum of 30 grams of cannabis possession for personal and private use for adults only. “This will be supported by a public education campaign on the use of cannabis.” The amendment will be a big relief for many who were apprehended by police having possession of cannabis weighing 30 grams or less. PM Pierre announced that Labour government is expunging the criminal records of the many who have been convicted for the possession of small quantities of cannabis in the country. “Rastafarians in Saint Lucia will be able to practice their religion without fear of flouting our country’s law,” PM asserted.

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PM Pierre added that this is the first step of many as the Labour government seek to create a medicinal and recreational cannabis industry and decriminalize the use of cannabis. “These amendments will benefit the people of St Lucia.”

Apart from the decriminalization of cannabis, Parliament will also amend the Consumer Protection Act. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of the Delta variant in the Caribbean, public members will not be allowed inside the Chamber Gallery during the sitting. The public can only view the live telecast of proceedings on official government channels, including social media.