PLP: Cannabis Bill Heads To Senate, Governor

February 22, 2021

Noting that legislation to regulate and license activities involving cannabis “passed the House of Assembly without objection,” the PLP has urged the “Senate to pass the legislation and for the Governor to give her Royal Assent.”

A PLP spokesperson said, “On Friday, landmark legislation set to regulate and license all activities involving the production, supply, research, import, export and transportation of cannabis and medicinal cannabis and the establishment of a Cannabis Licensing Authority passed the House of Assembly without objection. Although stating they would at the beginning of the debate, the OBA did not call for a vote.

“In leading the debate in the House of Assembly the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Reform said, ‘It provides fair and equitable access to participate in the proposed market at a time when the economy and families are suffering and searching for new economic opportunities.’

“This does not mean that the Cannabis Bill is automatically enacted into law! The Bill will be debated in the Senate. If passed by the Senate, it is then presented to the Governor for Royal Assent. Once a bill has been granted Royal Assent, it becomes law,” the PLP added.

8 hour replay of most of the the debate on the Cannabis Licence bill

“This legislation will provide a regulated cannabis regime, which will provide business opportunities for Bermudians in the cannabis industry,” said PLP MP Dennis Lister III.

“It was designed to empower Bermudians to have ownership in this new industry. It was designed after consultation with the community at large to ensure that the public had the opportunity to express their views and ideas. It was designed to protect our children and the vulnerable.”

“Bermuda, this is a win for entrepreneurs, it is a win for persons in need of medicinal cannabis, it is a win for our tourism industry and it is a win for those who have been victimized by the system. We urge the Senate to pass the legislation and for the Governor to give her Royal Assent.

The bill is scheduled to be debated in the Senate on March 3rd.

Read More About

Category: All, News, Politics

Comments (17)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. aceboy says:

    It would appear that this legislation is designed to either make a few chosen people very wealthy or to use it as a springboard to independence if that doesn’t work out. What it ISN’T is well thought out legislation to help Bermuda move forward.

  2. Ringmasterr says:

    OK, in short time the PLP have got Bermuda into the drugs and gambling arena, just prostitution left now.

    • Unbelievable says:

      Neither are actually happening at present and so that’s a big ‘if”. The terrible part is that it took a crushing $3.5 billion debt (which they created) and the effects of a pandemic on a failing economy to get them to start talking about both of these initiatives.

      Once again: too little, too late.

    • Joe Bloggs says:

      Has the PLP Government got us into gaming and drugs or is it just giving the illusion of having allowed it without it actually being allowed?

      The PLP Government gave use the Public Access to Information Act but then never appointed an Information Commissioner. The appearance of access without means of access.

      The PLP Government has added a political component to the Gaming Commission, ensuring that it is not seen (externally) as being independent, but as being a political tool.

      The PLP Government can do something similar with whatever body licences drug dealers.

      • sage says:

        Like the Liquor licensing Authority, the Pharmaceutical Association and the non-existent Cancer Stick Authority? They have been dealing drugs that are far worse than cannabis for decades.

  3. C Thomas Ray says:

    I note that both Canada and the Netherlands are signatories to the UN conventions on narcotics, but both have liberal drug policies wrt cannabis — both allow for commercial activity. So, how do they get round the UN convention but the UK can’t? I found this online from Canada in 2018 which sets out their thinking wrt international conventions and Canada’s obligations.

    https://sencanada.ca/content/sen/committee/421/AEFA/Briefs/2018-03-28_Brief_LineBeauchesne_e.pdf

    • sage says:

      Simply put, Bermudians, the UK and anyone claiming international treaties can’t be worked around is full of manure.

  4. Joe Bloggs says:

    “Noting that legislation to regulate and license activities involving cannabis “passed the House of Assembly without objection,” the PLP has urged the “Senate to pass the legislation and for the Governor to give her Royal Assent.””

    What? No more threats?

  5. Watching says:

    We will just see how the independent senators run with the new bill. There will be a moral decision to be made between keeping a job and voting for something that a person really doesn’t support. Should be interesting. On the other hand, it was noted that in the house nobody objected to the bill. Talk about keeping ones job!

  6. Curious Bystander says:

    So, getting stoned is okay, but marrying the person you love and want to spend the rest of your life with is bad if they are the same sex?
    So are the churches that hate gays okay with us getting stoned?
    Tourism slogan: “Our people are now higher than our prices”

    • sage says:

      I guess you mean according to some but it is perfectly legal to marry someone of the same sex, it has been legal since 2017 and 30 couples have tied the knot, conversely some people are targeted, arrested and punished for smoking a harmless plant for relaxation or medicine up to this day and the foreseeable future. Getting drunk has been okay forever even when half a dozen people die on the roads, many are injured and multiple violent incidents occur domestic and otherwise as a direct result of it’s abuse and not a concern expressed about it other than by me.

      • Toodle-oo says:

        *and not a concern expressed about it other than by me.*

        More BS. Others have been expressing concerns about it and many other things as well long before you came along.
        The difference between them and you is that you’re a tiring one trick pony who can bring booze and cancer sticks into ANY topic.

  7. Boston Whaler Owner says:

    waiting for the plp to license topless bars next!

    • Yes! says:

      That would be awesome! Miss my strip club trips and a good way for young women to make extra money! A classy place on Front Street for after dinner entertainment

  8. Scamcity says:

    This is HILARIOUS! At the SAME time USA is pretending to move foward on cannabis legislation. This is the height of media manipulation to benefit stocks and investors. So hilarious. These guys. Really something. They aren’t going to fully legalize cannabis in the USA, at least, for MANY YEARS, at the FEDERAL LEVEL because if they did, the feds would LOSE TAX REVENUE> Wake up dummies. Now CBD HEMP, yeah, they’ll legalize that.

  9. State-level marijuana liberalization policies have been evolving for the past five decades, and yet the overall scientific evidence of the impact of these policies is widely believed to be inconclusive.

  10. Question says:

    Bermudians. Won’t take a life-protecting vaccine because it’s “only” been tested on 3 billion people. Yet can’t wait to shove cannabis in their systems despite the harm it does.