By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

OPPOSITION leader Michael Pintard said the Davis administration should have a conversation with stakeholders before moving forward with their version of cannabis legislation.

His comment came during a press conference after FNM officials met members of the Bahamas Christian Council.

BCC president Bishop Delton Fernander reiterated his group’s staunch opposition to cannabis, insisting the organisation will speak loudly against proposed changes.

Mr Pintard, who continues to support cannabis reform, said: “We paid the respect to all stakeholders in the cannabis and industrial hemp space by having discussions with all of them prior to us arriving at the legislation that’s already in place in ministries, ready to be introduced to the country and we believe if the government is going to go forward with their version of the development of the cannabis or industrial hemp business, they must have a conversation with the various stakeholders, inclusive of the opposition and the Bahamas Christian Council.”

Asked to clarify what degree of consultation he believes the Davis administration should pursue, Mr Pintard said that depends on what changes are proposed.

“We are in no position to say because we have not seen the nature of the legislation that they are going to present,” the former Minister of Agriculture said. “Are they going to present the ones that we left on the table or are they going to make substantial amendments? We do not know.

“So, for example, we left on the table the amendment of the Dangerous Drugs Act. We looked at the expunging of police records for thousands of Bahamians who were caught with small quantities of marijuana. Thirdly, we prepared legislation relative to developing an industrial hemp business and that is a variety of industrial products that would be created from hemp and then thirdly we looked at medicinal marijuana legislation, so four separate pieces of legislation. We have no idea what the government intends to do and would be helpful if they would share specifically what their intentions are and talk with the various stakeholders in advance of making public pronouncements.”

Bishop Fernander said the meeting with the FNM allowed the council to get clarity from the party on cannabis.

“Even if (cannabis legislation) was left on the table by the previous administration, common courtesy says that we need to know as stakeholders what is going to go to Parliament and what is it that we can agree or disagree on,” he said.

“It might be abundantly clear, hence the conversation with one minister of agriculture and now another, but this is a very powerful special interest movement that the first thing a new government wants to do in an effort to move our economy forward is cannabis,” he added.

“We have to wake up and see that there (is a) powerful movement going on in our society that transcends government and as the Christian Council we will vigorously fight like we did the opposition to certain points of legislation and they were respected. We expect the same out of the government of the day and the common courtesy.

“To take your first shot at legislation and something to help the economy and just try to take it quickly to Parliament without there even being a white paper sends out to stakeholders is different, is not the normal process for which we get legislation of this magnitude done and it can only cause the church to do what we’ve done under previous administrations.

“We will speak loudly. It would be hypocritical to have spoken out during one administration and then be quiet when someone is trying to rush something to be legislation with another administration. No matter who is in the chair as the president of the Christian Council we are going to speak out on that which we feel is not moving in the direction to better the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.”

Both men spoke to reporters after the FNM paid a courtesy call on the Christian Council.