Former Crown Counsel Carl Ras Iva Williams is cautioning local marijuana growers not to be tricked into believing that they will become millionaires or they will be top producers on the local market.
Williams’ comment came last Tuesday night when he called the Current Affairs interactive programme on NICE Radio to contribute to the hotly-debated issue where police destroyed the ganja field of a farmer who was advised to plant while this country awaits the kick-off of the cannabis amnesty.
The farmer, Hamilton Edwards of Fitzhughes, was among a number of persons cultivating marijuana at Richmond, but his was the only ganja field destroyed, prompting widespread allegation of political victimization.
The destruction of the filed came less than twenty-our hours after his son had provided electricity for a political meeting held by North Leeward Member of Parliament and vice president of the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) Roland Patel Matthews.
“This industry is just for a handful of people. All these Rasta men wasting time say they hanging ‘round this medicinal marijuana thing. They know what happening in Canada now? How much years ago Canada start this thing. They think that everything is just jolly and man going come millionaire down here,” the former Crown prosecutor said.
“Who going come millionaire? The millionaires going get more millions; that is what going happen down here,” Williams added.
The former prosecutor asked whether the establishment of the medicinal cannabis industry has resulted in the growth of the country’s economy. He said that is the question the people of this country should be asking government officials. “Has the economy grown? Has it reached one percent growth? It ain’t reach there. So, what is the importance of all these things with medicinal marijuana industry? Has it caused the economy to grow by two percent, by one point five percent?” he asked.
Meanwhile, premium medicinal cannabis company Cannavais says it has “secured sizeable land bank in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines” where they are “developing a local state-of-the-art medical cannabis cultivation and processing facility.”
Cannavais was granted a license by the Medicinal Cannabis Authority last year to legally cultivate, manufacture, research and export cannabis and cannabis-based products.
Cannavais says “historically cannabis farms have been hard to access due to their previous illicit nature. The current law states each local traditional cultivator can cultivate up to 5 acres of land, however, many cannot afford new and accessible land.
“Cannavais will acquire lands which we can then lease to local traditional cultivators at a peppercorn rent. In conjunction, Cannavais will then pay an excellent market rate for the medicinal grade cannabis cultivated.”
