Assist
Where required, assists with the provision of analytical services, also ensures that proper disposal requirements are prescribed for the safe disposal of cannabis which is handled under the Act.
Learn MoreWhat are the functions of the BMCLA?
Develop
Develop policies, procedures and guidelines to establish the medicinal cannabis industry and to ensure that medicinal cannabis is available to patients in a safe and efficient manner.
Learn MoreProvide
Issues licences in relation to the handling of medicinal cannabis in accordance with the provisions of the Act, 2019, also provides for the distribution of educational materials etc.
Learn MoreRegulate
Regulates the handling of medicinal cannabis, with the approval of the Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Licensing Board, establishes and maintains an electronic database.
Learn MoreOur Latest News & Opportunities
From Our Community
Get the latest top news stories and updates from BMCLA and the Medicinal Cannabis Community. Find videos, articles and downloads on the latest top news stories in the region.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Medicinal Cannabis Industry: What do I need to know to get involved?
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18. What is a Legacy Practitioner/Traditional Farmer?
Someone who has vast experience and knowledge in the growth, production and cultivation of cannabis.
19. What does cultivation mean?
Cultivation includes the growing, harvesting, curing and drying of plant material.
20. What does cultivation site mean?
A cultivation site is the premise specified in a cultivator license as premises on which cannabis plants are authorised to be cultivated.
21. What does therapeutic facility mean?
Therapeutic facility is the premises granted a Retail Distributor Licence:
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to sell, dispense or provide medicinal cannabis prescribed by a medical practitioner; and
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to provide facilities and other medicinal or therapeutic requirements to allow a patient who has purchased, prescribed or recommended medicinal cannabis to use or consume that medicinal cannabis there for therapeutic purposes.
22. Who will grow the medicinal cannabis and distil the appropriate derivatives for the medical fraternity to use?
Any person with a Cultivator License (Tier 1 to 4), is allowed to grow, harvest, dry, trim, cure or package medicinal cannabis.
To distil the appropriate derivatives for the medical fraternity, a person with a Processor License (Tier 1 to 3), will be allowed to process and manufacture cannabis material and medicinal cannabis products.
For more information on licenses please click here.
23. Given that differences in cannabis plants lead to differing strengths of derivatives, how will this be controlled so that persons electing to use medicinal cannabis can obtain a consistent product or will this be a free-for-all?
A person shall not cultivate, supply, possess, or obtain medicinal cannabis for any of the purposes specified under the Medicinal Cannabis Industry Act, 2019, unless that person is the holder of the relevant license issued pursuant to the Act. A person who contravenes is guilty of an offence and is liable on conviction on indictment, to a fine of 15 times the value of the medicinal cannabis cultivated, supplied, possessed, or obtained, or to imprisonment for a term of 10 years or to both.
24. How will the legal framework address who grows/imports medicinal cannabis?
While the BMCLA will deliver policies, procedures and guidelines to establish the cannabis industry, the legal framework has been established by the laws of Barbados, which states that a person who is 18 years of age or older who is a citizen, permanent resident, person with immigrant status or citizen of a CARICOM member state other than Barbados, or is a company, partnership or co-operative society may apply for a license to grow or import medicinal cannabis.
The BMCLA, under strict control, issues several other categories of licenses including cultivation, transporting, manufacturing, dispensing, research and development, laboratory testing and exporting medicinal cannabis.
25. Can persons with previous criminal records become involved in the industry?
Section 32 (3) if the Act states that "A person who has been convicted of any of the offences in the second schedule or of any other similar offence in any country, shall not be eligible for a license.
For more information, please click here.
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How will side effects be dealt with as they are noted by the medical community?
Like any other prescribed medication, the administration of prescribed medicinal cannabis will be under supervision and monitoring by your doctor so to minimise harm, or negative interact to a patient. Factors like medical history, allergies, pregnancy, breastfeeding, co-morbidities, other medications that a patient may be taking will all be taken into consideration along with regular checkups.
Who can dispense Medicinal Cannabis?
A pharmacist or authorized personnel in a pharmacy or a therapeutic facility may dispense medicinal cannabis to a patient and where applicable, to a caregiver for a patient. A pharmacist or authorized personnel in a pharmacy should only dispense medicinal cannabis on the submission by a patient, or where applicable, a caregiver, of a prescription and a valid form of identification for the patient. Upon dispensing medicinal cannabis to a patient or, where applicable, a caregiver, a pharmacist should ensure that the label given in respect of the prescription has the information required by regulations of the Pharmacy (compounding and Dispensing of Drugs and Poisons) Regulations, 1986. A pharmacist shall enter the information of the patient in a register kept by him or her and established for the purpose, in the prescribed manner:
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Conform to any requirement or limitation set by the medical practitioner as to the form of medicinal cannabis that is required in relation to the patient;
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Provide to a patient and where applicable, a caregiver, information on the lawful methods for administering medicinal cannabis in individual doses;
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Provide to a patient and where applicable, a caregiver, information on how to prevent or deter the misuse of medicinal cannabis by a minor; or
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Provide to a patient, and where applicable, a caregiver, any other information which the pharmacist may consider to be relevant.
Is the BMCLA responsible for Sacramental Cannabis?
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33. Is the BMCLA responsible for Sacramental Cannabis?
Please note that the Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Licensing Authority regulates and process applications strictly with medicinal cannabis only. Any questions or concerns about sacramental cannabis, please contact the Attorney General's office at Jones Building, Webster's Business Park, Wildey, St. Michael, Barbados, W.I. or email at ps@oag.gov.bb
What is Medicinal Cannabis used for?
Some people use medicinal cannabis for their health problems. Deciding if medicinal cannabis is appropriate to treat your symptoms is best done in discussion with your doctor.Research so far has suggested that cannabinoid therapy is promising for the treatment of a number of different conditions.
What is adult use vs. recreational use of cannabis?
There is really no difference between the terms of adult use and recreational use of cannabis. However, the term “adult-use” while is for better optics, it comes from the notion that not all consumers of cannabis are consuming solely for recreational purposes. Cannabis can and is utilized for many reasons that go beyond the recreational/ medicinal cannabis binary.