Britain’s stance unchanged on legalising cannabis in Bermuda
A Conservative MP kept up the pressure in the British Parliament this week on the island’s stalemate with the UK Government over legalising cannabis.
However, the parliamentary question from Andrew Rosindell was deflected by David Rutley, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Foreign Office.
Mr Rosindell last year queried the British Government’s refusal to give assent to the Bermuda Cannabis Licensing Bill 2022, asking whether the move might face a review.
The rejection of a platform pledge by the Progressive Labour Party government prompted David Burt to state that it threatened to “destroy” the island’s relationship with Britain.
In last year’s remarks, Mr Rutley insisted that Bermuda’s move for a regulated legal cannabis regime ran counter to “international obligations held by the UK and Bermuda under United Nations conventions”.
On Tuesday, Mr Rosindell asked for an update from the Minister of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on “whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in Bermuda” on cannabis.
However, the reply consisted of an almost identical paragraph from Mr Rutley’s remarks in June 2023.
On that occasion, he closed by stating: “The UK is deeply committed to working in partnership with Bermuda and remains available and willing to discuss new proposals on cannabis legislation, to find a way forward that works for Bermuda while also remaining within the scope of existing international obligations.”
Mr Rutley’s written response this week stated: “The UK is committed to working in partnership with Bermuda and we remain available to discuss new proposals on this legislation, to find a way forward that works for Bermuda while also remaining within the scope of existing international obligations.”
Bermuda got a glancing mention on Tuesday regarding the threat to island states from climate change during a House of Lords debate on foreign policy.
Lord Naseby, a Conservative peer, told the House that the Caribbean “views with great care and worry the annual hurricane season”, which begins on June 1.
He added: “My understanding is that we now provide and pay for some special resources to Antigua & Barbuda, Jamaica and Saint Lucia through a gentleman or woman called the climate adviser.
“But my question to my noble friend is: why is that not extended to the Cayman Islands, the Turks & Caicos, and Bermuda, which equally suffer from these difficult hurricanes?”
There have been no details given in reply to questions to the Ministry of Legal Affairs on any compromise in the works over cannabis.
However, Kathy Lynn Simmons, the Attorney-General, told the House of Assembly last week that work continued on “a constructive resolution in compliance with international conventions”.
Ms Simmons said during the Budget debate that a further $50,000, equal to the amount allocated for her ministry one year ago, had been set aside “to provide support for the advancement of this initiative in compliance with international conventions”.
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