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Dominica-raised physician honoured for landmark Barbados study calling for stronger doctor-patient dialogue on medicinal cannabis
Dr. Griffin C. Benjamin Jr., a Dominican physician pursuing specialist studies in Barbados, has been awarded the David Picou Young Researcher Prize at the 70th Annual Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) Health Research Conference, held from April 22nd to 24th, 2026 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre in Georgetown, Guyana. The conference, themed “Innovations in Health,” was hosted jointly by CARPHA and the Government of Guyana through its Ministry of Health, and brought together leading researchers, clinicians, and policymakers from across the Caribbean region.
The David Picou Young Researcher Prize is among the most prestigious recognitions awarded at the annual CARPHA conference. It is named in honour of the late Professor David Picou, a foundational figure in Caribbean medical research. The award was conferred upon Dr. Benjamin by Dr. Lisa Indar, Executive Director of CARPHA, and Professor Minerva Thame, Chair of the CARPHA Research Advisory Committee.
Dr. Benjamin’s winning paper, titled “Primary Care Patients’ Awareness and Perceptions Toward Medicinal Cannabis in Barbados,” examined the gap between policy and practice nearly six years after Barbados passed the Medicinal Cannabis Industry Act in 2019. The study surveyed 404 adult patients across all nine government polyclinics in Barbados, with a notable 79 percent response rate, and produced what is believed to be the first regional baseline measurement of patients’ awareness, perceptions, and clinical engagement on the subject of medicinal cannabis.
The most striking finding was not simply that 83 percent of patients could not name a single legal medicinal cannabis product, but that only 3.5 percent of patients had ever discussed medicinal cannabis with their doctor. That is fourteen out of 404. This was set against the revelation that 68 percent said they trusted their doctor on the topic, 73 percent reported being comfortable having the conversation, and 67 percent said they would consider treatment with medicinal cannabis if their doctor recommended it. The study found that trust, comfort, and willingness are present on the patient side. The dialogue between doctor and patient on this therapeutic option, however, was largely not happening.
The study uncovered an equally significant finding among patients aged 55 and older. Eighty-four percent of older patients consulting the polyclinics in Barbados were unfamiliar with the medicinal uses of cannabis. Despite the well-documented understanding that this demographic group carries much of the chronic pain and arthritis burden, and is most likely to benefit from the therapy, the study revealed that these patients were the least informed about its potential benefits.
On the basis of these findings, Dr. Benjamin presented three recommendations for the region. The first is to launch a targeted public education campaign designed for the populations most likely to benefit, particularly older adults. The second is to incorporate clinician training and support programmes, so that primary care doctors feel equipped to initiate these conversations and understand where medicinal cannabis fits within existing treatment pathways such as the WHO analgesic ladder. The third is to develop a coordinated, CARICOM-aligned regional framework, so that medicinal cannabis is integrated into Caribbean treatment pathways through shared standards rather than developed territory by territory. The recommendations are directly relevant to Dominica, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Lucia, all at varying stages of considering or implementing similar reforms.
Dr. Benjamin grew up in Dominica and trained as a medical doctor at the Latin American School of Medicine in Cuba. He went on to complete his Doctor of Medicine (DM) in Family Medicine at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados, and is currently pursuing further specialist training as a resident in the DM Psychiatry programme. He serves as a ringside physician for Caribbean boxing associations, is a member of the Barbados Association of Sports Medicine, and shares in a regionally operated private practice, the Family Medical Clinic, alongside other family members.
In September 2025, Dr. Benjamin took first place for this same body of research at the Erol Walrond Symposium in Barbados. Speaking after the CARPHA award ceremony, he remarked: “This recognition belongs equally to the patients who participated in the study and to the colleagues across the polyclinics who supported the work. The findings remind us that good policy is only the beginning. What really matters is whether it reaches the patient sitting in the consultation room. As a Dominican, it means a great deal to bring this honour home.”
Dr. Benjamin comes from a family with deep roots in Caribbean medicine. He is the son of Professor Liris Benjamin, a faculty member at Ross University School of Medicine, and Dr. Griffin C. Benjamin Sr., the Chief of Psychiatry for the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, a respected consultant psychiatrist whose career has long been associated with mental health services in the region. He was joined at the conference by his two sisters, Dr. Kaele Benjamin, a medical officer, and Carlita Benjamin, an attorney-at-law, who travelled to Guyana in support of his presentation.
CARPHA, the Caribbean’s principal public health agency, hosts its Annual Health Research Conference each year as the leading platform for evidence-based health research in the region, drawing submissions from across CARICOM member states and partner institutions.
Dominica-raised physician honoured for landmark Barbados study calling for stronger doctor-patient dialogue on medicinal cannabis
Dr. Griffin C. Benjamin Jr., a Dominican physician pursuing specialist studies in Barbados, has been awarded the David Picou Young Researcher Prize at the 70th Annual Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) Health Research Conference, held from April 22nd to 24th, 2026 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre in Georgetown, Guyana. The conference, themed “Innovations in Health,” was hosted jointly by CARPHA and the Government of Guyana through its Ministry of Health, and brought together leading researchers, clinicians, and policymakers from across the Caribbean region.
The David Picou Young Researcher Prize is among the most prestigious recognitions awarded at the annual CARPHA conference. It is named in honour of the late Professor David Picou, a foundational figure in Caribbean medical research. The award was conferred upon Dr. Benjamin by Dr. Lisa Indar, Executive Director of CARPHA, and Professor Minerva Thame, Chair of the CARPHA Research Advisory Committee.
Dr. Benjamin’s winning paper, titled “Primary Care Patients’ Awareness and Perceptions Toward Medicinal Cannabis in Barbados,” examined the gap between policy and practice nearly six years after Barbados passed the Medicinal Cannabis Industry Act in 2019. The study surveyed 404 adult patients across all nine government polyclinics in Barbados, with a notable 79 percent response rate, and produced what is believed to be the first regional baseline measurement of patients’ awareness, perceptions, and clinical engagement on the subject of medicinal cannabis.
The most striking finding was not simply that 83 percent of patients could not name a single legal medicinal cannabis product, but that only 3.5 percent of patients had ever discussed medicinal cannabis with their doctor. That is fourteen out of 404. This was set against the revelation that 68 percent said they trusted their doctor on the topic, 73 percent reported being comfortable having the conversation, and 67 percent said they would consider treatment with medicinal cannabis if their doctor recommended it. The study found that trust, comfort, and willingness are present on the patient side. The dialogue between doctor and patient on this therapeutic option, however, was largely not happening.
The study uncovered an equally significant finding among patients aged 55 and older. Eighty-four percent of older patients consulting the polyclinics in Barbados were unfamiliar with the medicinal uses of cannabis. Despite the well-documented understanding that this demographic group carries much of the chronic pain and arthritis burden, and is most likely to benefit from the therapy, the study revealed that these patients were the least informed about its potential benefits.
On the basis of these findings, Dr. Benjamin presented three recommendations for the region. The first is to launch a targeted public education campaign designed for the populations most likely to benefit, particularly older adults. The second is to incorporate clinician training and support programmes, so that primary care doctors feel equipped to initiate these conversations and understand where medicinal cannabis fits within existing treatment pathways such as the WHO analgesic ladder. The third is to develop a coordinated, CARICOM-aligned regional framework, so that medicinal cannabis is integrated into Caribbean treatment pathways through shared standards rather than developed territory by territory. The recommendations are directly relevant to Dominica, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Lucia, all at varying stages of considering or implementing similar reforms.
Dr. Benjamin grew up in Dominica and trained as a medical doctor at the Latin American School of Medicine in Cuba. He went on to complete his Doctor of Medicine (DM) in Family Medicine at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados, and is currently pursuing further specialist training as a resident in the DM Psychiatry programme. He serves as a ringside physician for Caribbean boxing associations, is a member of the Barbados Association of Sports Medicine, and shares in a regionally operated private practice, the Family Medical Clinic, alongside other family members.
In September 2025, Dr. Benjamin took first place for this same body of research at the Erol Walrond Symposium in Barbados. Speaking after the CARPHA award ceremony, he remarked: “This recognition belongs equally to the patients who participated in the study and to the colleagues across the polyclinics who supported the work. The findings remind us that good policy is only the beginning. What really matters is whether it reaches the patient sitting in the consultation room. As a Dominican, it means a great deal to bring this honour home.”
Dr. Benjamin comes from a family with deep roots in Caribbean medicine. He is the son of Professor Liris Benjamin, a faculty member at Ross University School of Medicine, and Dr. Griffin C. Benjamin Sr., the Chief of Psychiatry for the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, a respected consultant psychiatrist whose career has long been associated with mental health services in the region. He was joined at the conference by his two sisters, Dr. Kaele Benjamin, a medical officer, and Carlita Benjamin, an attorney-at-law, who travelled to Guyana in support of his presentation.
CARPHA, the Caribbean’s principal public health agency, hosts its Annual Health Research Conference each year as the leading platform for evidence-based health research in the region, drawing submissions from across CARICOM member states and partner institutions.
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It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
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