The organisation serving members of the island’s emerging cannabis industry is calling on the government for updates on the decriminalisation of marijuana, following a police crackdown that led to the destruction of more than 1 300 cannabis plants and the arrest of two men in Laborie.
Interim president of the Herbal Cooperative, Andre Pancho de Caires, has expressed frustration at delays in passing the necessary legislation.
Last Saturday, Leroy and Glenroy Willie were taken into custody following the search of a Black Bay, Laborie residence by officers of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF).
Police said they seized approximately 23.2 pounds of suspected cannabis, with an estimated street value of $10 440. Officers also confiscated $765 in cash, believed to be proceeds of drug-related activities, and discovered six cannabis plantations near the residence. In total, 1 368 cannabis plants were taken and destroyed.
The seizure sparked public reaction on social media, with several commenters questioning the arrests. One wrote: “So in this day and age, when marijuana is legal and sold in all forms abroad, people are being arrested for growing the herb here in Saint Lucia.”
De Caires also took to social media, questioning, “Who exactly is giving the directive to the RSLPF to commit mass destruction of farms?”
A long-time advocate for the decriminalisation of marijuana, de Caires said that despite positive rhetoric from government officials in support of reform, the wheels are moving slowly. In the meantime, he said, police crackdowns continue to affect individuals who may otherwise operate legally if policies were changed.
“Many of our CARICOM neighbours have leapfrogged us and have fully legalised and are benefitting from the move,” said the cooperative’s interim president.
De Caires, who has been heavily involved in stakeholder discussions, claimed that a bill on decriminalisation was completed in August 2025 under the leadership of former Minister of Commerce Emma Hippolyte. He questioned why it had not yet been tabled in Parliament.
“This was a campaign promise not honoured,” he stated. The government has not publicly commented on the status of the bill.
De Caires also claimed that Prime Minister Philip J Pierre had engaged him directly on the issue during previous administrations.
“When he was in power, he called me personally, along with the Attorney General, to let us know that full legalisation was the intention,” de Caires said. He pointed to the emergence of the Regulatory Services Agency (RSA) and the Herbal Cooperative as part of efforts to serve the developing cannabis industry.
He has now called on the new Minister of Commerce, Ernest Hilaire, to move the legislation forward: “My question to Minister Hilaire is: when do you intend to pass the legislation?”
Addressing reporters at a police press conference today, Assistant Commissioner of Police Luke Defreitas said officers will continue to crack down on cannabis use as long as it remains illegal.
“The cultivation of cannabis … up to this point is not legalised and, therefore, I do not know that we have legally registered cannabis farmers on island,” Defreitas stated. “Until the laws are amended to facilitate cannabis being a legal industry, the police will continue to crack down on all illegal possession, cultivation, trafficking, transporting, and selling of cannabis.”
