At its meeting held on Monday, Fiji’s Cabinet approved the drafting of medicinal cannabis legislation.
This will be undertaken in consultation with the Office of the Solicitor-General and the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.
According to The Fiji Times, Cabinet also approved the Medicinal Cannabis Industry Feasibility Study Report. The creation of this report was supported in part by the Australian Government and examined the related logistics, legislation and investment environment in Fiji.
Last year, Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica said the country’s reliance on tourism wasn’t sustainable and new avenues for generating income and diversifying the country’s economy must be explored – and one promising area was medical cannabis. The Fiji Cabinet approved establishing a medicinal cannabis industry in February this year after consultations and the feasibility study.
Commenting on the developments this week, advocacy group Cannabis Fiji raised some concerns. One is the proposed medicinal cannabis industry will focus solely on exports, with no products available for local consumption.
Another is the scope of the feasibility study, which only involved 513 participants in a country with a population of nearly 900,000. The group also states the feasibility study’s findings have not been fully disclosed, leaving stakeholders without crucial information.
And an emphasis on foreign investment raises concerns about the extent of local participation and benefit-sharing. The group also points out challenges with illicit drug use and trafficking in Fiji, which could complicate enforcement efforts and fuel criminal activities.
The Fijian government’s interest in cannabis extends beyond medicinal applications. In 2022, changes to legislation enabled the importation, possession, cultivation, sale and supply of industrial hemp; which is defined in Fiji as a cannabis plant with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration not exceeding 1%. This followed urging from then-President Katonivere in 2021 that the county should not hesitate from tapping into the economic benefits of hemp.
Cannabis Fiji says the government should prioritize ” operationalizing” Fiji’s hemp industry before getting into medicinal cannabis, which remains underutilized due to outdated regulations and unclear policies.
“By addressing regulatory gaps, amending customs laws, and issuing licenses, Fiji could harness hemp as a stepping stone to broader cannabis opportunities while ensuring economic benefits reach local communities.”
