By LEANDRA ROLLE


Tribune Staff Reporter


lrolle@tribunemedia.net

AGRICULTURE and Marine Resources Minister Michael Pintard said on Thursday he plans to discuss the economic potential of industrial hemp with Cabinet ministers while the issue of legal marijuana is still being deliberated.

Mr Pintard made the remarks when asked whether the government was considering cannabis cultivation as a potential economic relief measure and also, whether his ministry had begun research potential cannabis farming in the Family Islands.

However, the minister replied that he could not speak to the issue of cannabis cultivation as he does not know what the government’s intentions are as it relates to the drug.

“As you would be aware, the commission that has been established by the prime minister is in the Office of the Prime Minister. So really, he has the exclusive purview in addressing the issue of cannabis and what the intentions are on cannabis,” he said on Thursday.

“What I can comment on is two other things that are closely related but are not necessarily in the purview of that commission. One is industrial hemp, which produces a wide range of products, which of course in its cultivation would have to be zoned in a location so that there isn’t cross pollination between related crops.

“That is something that has massive potential. We have been in numerous meetings with investors, Bahamians as well as otherwise in respect to industrial hemp. That is not the hemp, that is not which you smoke. You don’t get high by it.”

He continued: “It’s consumed and it's used to produce a wide range of products that you and I would use and so it is my intention to ask Cabinet that we proceed in terms of separating that until the question of cannabis has been settled.

“Let's deal with what should not be a controversial issue. Secondly, CBD products as well which again do not have THC in it which would in fact get somebody high and the things that concerned a great many Bahamians.

“We need to move on the things that are not controversial to a large extent that have the potential to generate revenue that others are taking advantage of and the longer we wait, the longer we miss opportunities.”