If marijuana is to be used for pain management and other types of medical afflictions, the issue of rehabilitation must be examined, since, like any pharmaceutical, there is risk of addiction and that’s a serious issue.
UNC senator Jayanti Lutchmedial made this point during Tuesday’s Senate debate on the Cannabis Control Bill (2020).
She said she’d propose amendments to the bill so that some fees collected by the proposed T&T Cannabis Licensing Authority can be applied to rehabilitation.
She said while the bill is groundbreaking, it’s only a “skeleton” and won’t be truly beneficial to society until its regulations are presented.
Lutchmedial noted that Americans had attested to marijuana’s medicinal benefits for pain management and asthma. But she said addiction is still a very serious issue. She noted the need for rehabilitation, since many people were sent to the rehabilitation centre at Piparo – but this is in dire need of resources and there’s a need for big investments in rehab facilities.
Lutchmedial said medical personnel dispensing medicinal marijuana will need training and regulation to ensure proper procedure and detect abuse/tendency.
Before the law is unveiled, she said it should also include provision for the presence of cannabis in houses where minors are present and ensure children aren’t accessing this.
Warning against allowing the projected industry being dominated by “big business,” she said the proposed licenses’ design may put them beyond the reach of many small farmers, since those who cultivated marijuana cannot access capital or own vast amounts of property.
She said the vast majority, “if not all growing ganja in T&T” (sic) were doing so illegally occupying State land to large extent.”
Therefore, she said serious policy development is needed or the bill would only facilitate people who can access easy capital.
Lutchmedial said it’s not easy for small farmers to jump straight into this business and become entrepreneurs without some “hand holding” by Government. They might require several licenses which would be cost prohibitive if they have to compete regionally and internationally, she said.
Lutchmedial said while at university, she was told St Vincent’s ganja was the best and that island has waived licence fees for two years.
“That’s the kind of foresight needed here,” she added.
On the licensing of ganja use for religious purposes, she said her research showed many felt it impossible to regulate people’s religious beliefs.
She also said religious bodies are being abused for profits under guise of religion and that has a lot to do with lack of supervision for taxes.
Independent Senator Charisse Seepersad, who noted cannabis is used in Ayurvedic medicine, also said it’s addictive and can be abused. She said the bill didn’t give enough scope to addiction and it must be strengthened to protect children from access to cannabis edibles—candies, chocolate—as these can have dangerous side effects for them.