President of the Rastafari Cooperative and Chief Cultivator of the Cannabis Farm Industry in Jamaica, Dominica-born Tyron “Quince” Alleyne, has shared the dream of his cooperative in receiving a license for the legal cultivation of cannabis in Dominica.
Speaking on local radio station, Q95, this week, Alleyne said the license could be given based on the cooperative’s skills and background in cultivating the herb.
“We believe that we are capable of managing a farm, a cannabis farm,” he stated.
According to Alleyne, based on ideas for the processing of cannabis products such as oils and balms in Dominica, the license will allow the cooperative to be one of the mass producers of cannabis on the island.
“We would love to be issued a license or pay for our license in the Commonwealth of Dominica,” he remarked.
The reality of Alleyne’s dream coming true may not be far off given the recent announcement by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit on the radio program ‘Focus on Government and Development,’ that come 2023, Dominica will be in the position to develop a marijuana industry.
“I believe come next year we will certainly be in a position to pass this legislation and have a full-fledged cannabis industry in Dominica so that we can take advantage of numerous opportunities where cannabis is concerned,” he said.
Skerrit pointed out that his government is in the process of putting mechanisms in place and providing certification to farmers to be able to plant and grow cannabis.
Dominica has been making steady, some argue slow, progress in decriminalizing cannabis, which is considered taboo by many.
In 2020, Parliament approved a Bill for an Act to decriminalize the possession of 28 grams (one ounce) or less of cannabis.
The Amendment to the Drugs Prevention of Misuse Act was passed in Parliament on Monday, October 26, 2020, for Dominicans 18 years and above.
The government also recommended that a Dominican can cultivate no more than three cannabis plants at his/ her place of residence.
But for men like Rastafari Elder and Herbalist, Ras Bobby Olivacce, more should be done when it comes to cannabis in Dominica.
Also speaking on Q95, he argued that Dominica’s culture is considered agrarian and cannabis can be seen as food.
“They have the cannabis as though it is taboo,” he stated. “And what it is on a scientific level is that there is a system in our body called the endocannabinoid system and that system needs to be fed. And what stimulates that system to normalize the hormones within our structure is the use of the cannabis plant.”
According to healthline.com, the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a complex cell-signaling system identified in the early 1990s by researchers exploring THC, a well-known cannabinoid. Cannabinoids are compounds found in cannabis.
The website pointed out that experts are still trying to fully understand the ECS. But so far, it is known to play a role in regulating a range of functions and processes, including sleep, mood, appetite, memory reproduction, and fertility.
