SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — While a key stakeholder in the cannabis industry continues to call for an amnesty to regularise farmers operating outside the regulated sector, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Senator Aubyn Hill has sounded a cautionary note. He pointed to the complex international legal landscape in explaining his stance on the matter.

“I have to remind you all that ganja is a Schedule 1 drug. It’s the same thing as fentanyl, the same thing as cocaine. It’s in the same category as heroin. It is seen as a bad drug,” the minister stressed.

He was addressing a Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce and Industry meeting at the Hotel Commingle in Savanna-la-Mar on Wednesday. He gave a breakdown on the implications for international trade and travel.