The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL


Tribune Staff Reporter


kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

MORE than two years after Parliament passed the Cannabis Act, key provisions — including ticketing for small amounts of marijuana — remain inactive as the government waits on a digital regulatory system that does not yet exist.

Officials now say the industry’s launch hinges on a central online platform expected within 180 days.

Chairman of the Cannabis Authority Dr Lynwood Brown confirmed yesterday that an agreement has been signed with a platform provider to build the system that will process licence applications, track imported products and monitor operators.

“Without the platform, there is no industry,” Dr Brown said.

He described the system as the core administrative tool for enforcing cannabis policy and overseeing compliance. Applications for cultivation, distribution and other licences will be submitted digitally once the portal goes live. The Authority will then review and decide on them.

The platform itself will not grant licences but will act as what Dr Brown called a gatekeeping mechanism, tracking reporting requirements and integrating the electronic prescription system required under the law.

While infrastructure is being developed, another major element of the reform — allowing police to issue tickets instead of making arrests for small quantities — has not yet been activated.

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe said certain sections of the law cannot safely come into effect without regulatory systems in place.

“You have to put the infrastructure into place before you bring some parts of it,” Mr Munroe said. “For instance, if you need tracking systems — how do you know where the marijuana is going to if you permit people to produce it and you don’t have the technology and control systems in place?”

He acknowledged that reducing penalties could result in a slight increase in use.

“If you accept that some people do not use marijuana because of potential consequences, and you remove some of those consequences, there might be a slight increase,” he said.

The legislation says police “may” issue tickets, preserving officer discretion once the provision is enacted.

Meanwhile, potential investors say the delays are creating uncertainty.

Glenwood Ferguson, a cannabis advocate involved in regional and international markets, said some interested parties have already spent thousands of dollars preparing for entry into the sector, including soil testing and consultancy work. However, clarity on licence categories and fees remains limited.

“Everyone has a choice,” he said, rejecting the idea that legal access would automatically mean widespread use.

The cannabis reform package, introduced in May 2024, sought to legalise cannabis for medical and religious purposes, decriminalise small possession amounts and establish a regulated industry under the Cannabis Authority.

While the Authority was formally established on September 2, 2024, several operational provisions remain dormant pending supporting infrastructure.