Rastas to get approval for cannabis use in Barbados
The local Rastafari community intended to challenge government’s refusal to change cannabis laws in court
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Rastafarians in Barbados will be permitted to use cannabis for sacramental purposes. The announcement was made during a Sitting in the House of Parliament by Attorney General Dale Marshall during the debate on the Medical Cannabis Bill (2019). Marshall admitted changes needed to be made to the way government treats religious use of cannabis considering it does not fall into the category of recreational or medicinal. He also pointed to the legal precedent based on cases in Antigua and South Africa where the court acknowledged it was an infringement on the constitutional rights of Rastafarians to criminalize them for using cannabis. (See also: Rastas to bring cannabis case against Barbados government | Ras Simba wants AG to allow ganja use for all)
