Race, class, and cannabis in the Caribbean

Without sufficient regulation, drug legalization in the Caribbean could end up benefitting international business interests, and hurting those who depend on the informal cannabis economy to survive
NACLA (US)
Thursday, October 23, 2014

Given the regional discussions of allowing the use of ganja for medicinal purposes—and its eventual decriminalization—two prominent ganja advocates in the Eastern Caribbean have been arguing that things are much more complex than they seem. If the decriminalization or legalization of ganja takes place without sufficient regional and domestic regulation, the Caribbean may end up losing out on one of its most lucrative, albeit illicit exports. During my time in both St. Vincent and St. Lucia, I have seen increasing concern and skepticism over who would truly benefit from the legalization of ganja in the Caribbean.