KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC) – The first cannabis consumption lounge in St Vincent and the Grenadines opened late Friday at the island’s Coconut Grove Beach club, with people obtaining permits to buy cannabis products for a year, after an onsite consultation with a physician.

“Today, we’re launching Greenhouse Café, which is a cannabis consumption lounge, the first of its of its kind in St Vincent and in the Eastern Caribbean,” Marie Helene Tremblay, general manager of Medicinal, a medical marijuana company in the country, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) at the launch at Canash Bay.

Tremblay, who holds a doctorate in organic chemistry from Georgia Institute of Technology, said that her company decided to conduct a clinic during the launch “so that we give access to cannabis and easier access to cannabis”.

“Once the patient has a prescription for medicinal cannabis, they then can go see the Medicinal Cannabis Authority to obtain their cannabis ID card that is valid for a year in St Vincent,” Tremblay said, referring to the state agency that regulates the medicinal cannabis in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“Once they have their ID card, they can come and purchase their products here directly at our dispensary and consume as well here while enjoying the night in front of the beach,” she said.

At the dispensary, patients can purchase products ranging from an EC$15 “THC pre-roll” to a 1,500 ml HTC Tincture for EC$200. Other products include CDB Heal Lotion, CDB Vape (“Lift”, “Calm” and “Taste”).

Among the people at the launch was Minister of Agriculture and Industry, Saboto Caesar who emphasised that he was there “purely, as an observer, not a participant”.

He said he was happy to see that the law was being adhered to.

“I also witnessed that the Medicinal Cannabis Authority are here in their numbers,” he said, adding the MCA “can ask that certain things be tweaked if they think that they have fallen outside of the legal framework”.

He spoke of the “principle of non-diversion — that nothing is supposed to be diverted from here into the illicit market”.

The minister noted that some people have called for the decriminalisation of marijuana for recreational use.

“… as a government, we saw it possible to maintain a modern medicinal wellness industry in St Vincent and the Grenadines and not break international law because international law says that cannabis should only be used for medicinal purposes and scientific research and development”.

He said he was happy that people seeking medical treatment now have the option of a consultation at Coconut Grove.

The minister said employment is being created “because I am certain that the doctor has a busy practice.”

“So you may be seeing other doctors and I heard that there are three booths here. And so there are several doctors who will be on shift here. So in case anything goes wrong, there’s a medical doctor there as well.

“It’s definitely an opportunity for local investors outside of this setup, to model this, of course with the engagement of the medicinal cannabis authority… I’m happy to also know that the product, I’m advised, is produced locally and it is tested by a world class lab that is in St Vincent and Grenadines.”