By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

A DIRECTOR on the Cannabis Authority says the authority’s work is moving too slowly.

“Almost like everything in our country, it’s just slow, almost to a stop,” said Bishop Simeon Hall, who also served as co-chair of the former Marijuana Commission.

He urged policymakers to consider small-time users. “Redeem the little fella with his little spliff,” he said.

Authority chairman Dr Lynwood Brown responded by saying the delay stems from the need to launch a comprehensive regulatory platform before going live. Without it, he warned, the system would lack control.

“You cannot go live. You create a wild, wild scenario,” Mr Brown said.

He explained that the digital platform will connect every stage of the supply chain, from cultivators and manufacturers to dispensaries, ensuring that each seed and product is tracked.

“There’ll be no accountability if we allow it to go forward without a platform to monitor it,” he said.

He did not provide a launch date, noting that delays have occurred when external contractors failed to meet deadlines.

When asked about people still being penalised for small amounts of cannabis, he said those matters are being addressed.

Under the law, those with less than 30 grams of marijuana will receive a fixed penalty.

Yesterday, cannabis advocate Glenwood Ferguson said the government has failed to properly educate the public or involve communities since the bill passed. He said he offered to help with outreach by sharing his book, Cannabis: The Plans to Miss the Truth, and hosting informational town halls, but was ignored.

“I petitioned that they use my book as an educational piece,” Ferguson said. “Many, many countries have tapped into me… because they understand what attention I bring towards your country.”

He criticised the government for relying on foreign consultants instead of local experts and called for the immediate review of possession cases.

“We need to go in the database and we look to see who all are locked up for under one ounce,” he said. “We need to get them out of jail right now.”

Ferguson also questioned the qualifications of authority staff and the transparency of its budget, and said public interest remains high despite a lack of information.

“If I don’t just keep the page busy, people just fall deaf,” he said. “It’s like, is it really happening?”