Following yesterday’s debate, the Cayman Island Legislative Assembly has decided to support a bill to allow cannabis oil for medicinal use, according to a report from the Cayman News Service. Although there are concerns about where the oil will be sourced, it is the first step for medical marijuana access on the island nation.
Dennie Warren, who advocated for the legislation on behalf of his wife, who has a stage 4 lung cancer diagnoses, said that the lawmakers’ decision to back medical cannabis access “took courage.”
“[It’s a] very important step for the world as it will be of great benefit for many people and I look forward to the final approval of the bill,” Warren said in the report.
Warren also supplied legislative members with information that could help them import the oil from Canada. Currently, none of the islands’ neighboring countries permit medical cannabis use; however governments in Jamaica, Colombia and Germany have been actively discussing plans to make the plant accessible in their respective nations and might be willing to export the oil to the islands.
During the debate, legislators were not convinced that the drug would be as miraculous as some advocates believe; however, many seemed hopeful that it will provide relief for chronically ill individuals. Some lawmakers also seemed ready to decriminalize possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use.