On Tuesday 24th May, 2022, the University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus Dominica in collaboration with Rastafari Inity Waitkubuli Multipurpose Cooperative Societies Ltd. (RIWMCOP) and House of Nyabinghi Waitukubuli, hosted a “Cannabis Symposium” as part of Africa Week Celebrations in Dominica. The symposium was held under the theme, “From Traditional Cultivation to the Commercialization of Cannabis”.
According to Dr. Kimone Joseph, Head of the UWI Open Campus Dominica, the symposium forms part of UWI Open Campus Dominica’s commitment to providing opportunities for non-formal education for our people. Furthermore, she expressed, “No longer is the focus strictly on education or the benefits of cannabis and the need for legalization. Instead, as the global trend has evolved, and the COVID pandemic has brought already struggling economic activities to their knees, we have seen what cannabis can do and it is time for us to demystify it and look for avenues of commercialization.”
Interestingly, to commemorate the start of the symposium a cannabis plant was planted on site at the campus. Joseph highlighted that this is indeed a demonstration that UWI Open Campus Dominica is ready to embrace local traditions as a representation of the Dominican people and their potential.
Among the distinguished guests were Dr. Machel Emanuel, Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Dr. Martha Augustus, attorney-at-law Ms. Rose-Anne Charles, Median Baroque, Mara Abraham, Mr. Algernon Roberts, Mr. LeVaughn Flynn and Mr. Spirit Cottle.
Notably, this event marks one of many to come in the future. It is the hope of the organizers that the country as a whole could shift focus from a traditional cultivation perspective to one which explores the prospects of cannabis be it medicinal or otherwise.
