TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands (CMC) – The British Virgin Islands’ government is planning to implement restrictions on the smoking of tobacco products in the Caribbean island.

In delivering his Throne speech to the legislature last week, Governor John Rankin indicated that this will take the form of legislative amendments to the Tobacco Products Control Act.

“Government will seek to amend the Tobacco Products Control Act, 2006 to provide for restrictions on the use of electronic smoking devices and the creation of the new offences of prohibiting smoking in a public place, smoking by a person under 18 years of age, and smoking in a motor vehicle while a person under 18 years of age is present,” Rankin said .

This follows reports from Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley that the government has made headway with the United Kingdom as it relates to developing a medical marijuana industry for the territory.

Following his trip to the UK last week, Wheatley announced that he had “very good discussions” on medicinal cannabis; “particularly with respect to the licensing of medical practitioners in the Virgin Islands to administer medicinal cannabis to patients”.

“We have found a way forward on this aspect of medicinal cannabis and we are proceeding to put the necessary regimes in place for approvals,” Wheatley said at a recent press conference.

But according to the premier, the territory may not need to rely on the Cannabis Licensing Act — the legislation that sets the framework for the establishment of a local medical marijuana industry — to get things started, as the Act has been wrapped up in UK red tape for almost three years.