This statement was published by the Global Forum for Producers of Prohibited Plants in May 2015. This statement highlights the major issues that cannabis growers face in the region of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The statement stresses that cannabis growers farm the crop because of economic necessity, and not for the purpose of drug trafficking. Furthermore, cannabis also has a huge cultural, medicinal and religious role in the region. One point that illustrates the failure of the 'war on drugs' in the region is the fact that eradication has been present in the region for over 50 years, but there is still a high levels of production of cannabis. Junior asks the USA to show them that there is another way, and he voices his concern for the slow progress being made in relation to drug policy and the lack sustainable development measures and information to the farmers.
Watch the statement
.Citation: Dania Putri, 'Cannabis in the Caribbean: A Presentation by Junior "Spirit" Cottle' (2015), Global Forum of Producers of Prohibited Plants: Video Forum