HealthLocal NewsNews Reminder that medicinal cannabis legal only through doctors and pharmacists by Barbados Today 19/01/2023 written by Barbados Today Updated by Sasha Mehter 19/01/2023 2 min read A+A- Reset Only licensed doctors have the authority to prescribe medicinal cannabis in Barbados and only pharmacists are legally allowed to dispense it. Share FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappThreadsBlueskyEmail 1.3K Only licensed doctors have the authority to prescribe medicinal cannabis in Barbados and only pharmacists are legally allowed to dispense it. This reminder came from Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Licensing Authority (BMCLA) Senator Shanika Roberts-Odle at Wednesday’s National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA) panel discussion themed, Cannabis: Medicinal and Recreational: What really is the Difference? “If you take your doctor’s prescription and go to the very helpful neighbourhood man that happens to hang on the corner, you have now entered the illegal realm. Please turn back. It has to be prescribed by a doctor and then dispensed by a pharmacist,” the BMCLA boss cautioned. “Your doctor, if you have gone to them for a while, knows your history – knows your medical history, knows your history potentially with narcotics or any other kinds of drugs. “Your doctor is the best to decide if your condition is best served with medicinal cannabis,” she added. Roberts-Odle further informed those who attended the discussion held at the National Union of Public Workers headquarters in Dalkeith Road, St Michael, that the BMCLA has been continuing conversations with tourism stakeholders to link medicinal cannabis and Barbados’ bread and butter industry. You Might Be Interested In Crystal Beckles-Holder, 2nd runner up in regional competition GUYANA: Body of child found after gold mine collapses Barbadians asked to help with return tickets for Haitians She explained that currently, like locals, tourists must be seen by local doctors to have medicinal cannabis prescribed. “So we are working on how to bring about medical tourism while working with the rules that are established and to continue that. “And we are also doing international outreach. We will be going to several international conferences throughout the year to be able to make sure we are ahead of what’s going on internationally. We may be late to the game, but we don’t intend to be staying behind,” Roberts-Odle asserted. Recognising that the BMCLA needs to facilitate training and certification for the industry, she said that within the next two months, it would be announcing the educational institution tasked with providing level two training in cannabis cultivation developed with the TVET Council. “And we have developed that with international partners, regional partners and local legacy growers who understand how to grow cannabis in Barbados,” she said. Roberts-Odle said the BMCLA currently has a memorandum of understanding with the University of the West Indies (UWI) to facilitate research and development related to the cannabis industry. (AH) Barbados Today Stay informed and engaged with our digital news platform. The leading online multimedia news resource in Barbados for news you can trust. You may also like St Michael man charged with The Ivy murder 13/07/2025 Harrison College graduates urged to uphold legacy and chart their own path 13/07/2025 A whole lot of vibes at Fusions – Crop Over ignites at... 13/07/2025