From destruction to development: Why Barbados needs a smarter approach to cannabis
Last week, The Barbados Police Service destroyed nearly 6 000 kilogrammes of illegal drugs valued at $66 million. The tightly secured disposal, described by Acting Inspector Ryan Brathwaite, was the first such exercise for the year.
The operation signals law enforcement’s commitment to dismantling the illegal drug trade, which fuels crime and undermines public safety. But it also raises a larger question: While incinerating tonnes of cannabis in its illicit form, how can we fast-track the growth of a regulated medicinal cannabis industry that is already built to generate economic returns?
Barbados’ medicinal cannabis sector is advancing carefully, with a deliberate emphasis on patient access, investor confidence, and high operational standards. Recently, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security Indar Weir, accompanied by senior ministry officials and Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Licensing Authority (BMCLA) CEO Shanika Roberts-Odle, toured two of the island’s therapeutic cannabis facilities.
The visits confirmed that operations were aligned with the industry’s regulatory requirements – not just in licensing compliance, but in the standards of cultivation environments, patient-facing services, and product quality controls. According to government officials, these facilities represent the kind of disciplined, transparent operations that give the fledgling industry credibility both at home and abroad.
Such inspections send a message to investors, patients, and the international market: Barbados is committed to building an industry that meets global standards while delivering tangible health benefits to its citizens.
The BMCLA has anchored the industry on four best-practice pillars:
– Streamlined Licensing – Clear guidelines and timelines for legitimate businesses, including small farmers.
– Non-Traditional Banking Solutions – Innovative financial services to reduce cash dependency where traditional banks hesitate.
– Patient Education – Public outreach on medicinal cannabis and its therapeutic uses.
– Research Investment – Collaborations with the University of the West Indies – Cave Hill for clinical trials and product development.
Government stakeholders remain cautiously optimistic, stressing that careful expansion is necessary for long-term stability, but also acknowledging that growth must accelerate to unlock the sector’s economic potential.
The global medicinal cannabis market was worth over US$16 billion in 2023 and is projected to triple by 2030. Caribbean neighbours like Jamaica and St Vincent and the Grenadines have already secured export contracts. Barbados, with its premium agricultural reputation and stable governance, is well-placed to compete but only if it moves decisively.
The destruction of $66 million worth of illicit drugs, mostly comprising cannabis, proves one thing: demand exists. The challenge is to channel that demand into a regulated, taxable, and sustainable market that benefits Barbadians.
One stubborn barrier to growth is attitudinal. A strain of willful ignorance persists, with some dismissing the sector as inaccessible or reserved for the wealthy. Yet cooperative ownership models — similar to the pooling of resources by large investors — already exist. Small farmers and entrepreneurs can combine funds, share cultivation facilities, and split operational costs. The pathways for inclusion are there, but too often overlooked.
To bridge the gap between potential and performance, Barbados could:
1. Expand Export Pathways – Negotiate trade agreements to open high-value markets faster.
2. Support Smallholder Farmers – Offer incentives for traditional cultivators transitioning to the legal sector.
3. Integrate Tourism and Wellness – Create medical wellness tourism offerings featuring cannabinoid therapies, spa services, and educational tours.
4. Incentivise Innovation – Provide grants or tax breaks for start-ups in cannabis product development and sustainable cultivation.
5. Boost Regional Collaboration – Form a Caribbean cannabis export consortium to harmonise regulations and strengthen market reach.
Enforcement will always be necessary to protect communities from unsafe, unregulated products. But the cannabis plant itself is not the enemy – the illicit market is. Expanding legitimate opportunities, addressing misconceptions about affordability, and accelerating investment can transform enforcement headlines into economic success stories.
The BMCLA has laid the foundation. Now Barbados needs momentum, targeted investment, market access, and innovation-led growth.
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