National

Is Government Making Headway With the Cannabis Industry?

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The government says the rollout of the Bahamas’ medical cannabis industry is moving forward after securing a digital platform to oversee licensing, compliance and seed-to-sale tracking.

Published

6 hours ago

August 6, 2026

Chinasa Outten

NASSAU , BAHAMAS –

Dr. Michael Darville – Minister, Health and Wellness

“I’m certain that very shortly, you will see more movement with the cannabis legislation and the Cannabis Authority and the cannabis industry in the country. But we are plotting the way forward.”

After months of delays, Health Minister Dr. Michael Darville says the government has secured the digital platform needed to regulate the medical cannabis industry.

And Dr. Darville says it’s a major move.

The legislative framework for medical cannabis was passed in 2024, legalizing its use for medical, scientific and religious purposes.

But the rollout stalled as officials worked to find a digital system to manage licensing, track cannabis from seed to sale, and ensure the industry operates securely.

Dr. Michael Darville – Minister, Health and Wellness

“We finally have in our possession and signed a contractual agreement with a company called Metrc, which will provide the digital platform for the entire cannabis industry, the licensing platform to monitor cannabis from seed to sale and also monitor all the various different licenses.”

The platform will process license applications, track cannabis throughout the supply chain, and manage medical e-prescriptions.

It will also form the backbone of the Cannabis Authority, which will oversee the industry and ensure compliance.

But while the medical industry moves closer to launch, recreational cannabis remains illegal. Darville says strict protocols have been built into the system to prevent the legal industry from mixing with the illegal market.

Dr. Michael Darville – Minister, Health and Wellness

“That is necessary to monitor prescriptions, the movement of prescriptions from the doctor’s office electronically to the pharmacy or to the cannabis dispensary, and to develop all the compliance mechanisms necessary to ensure that the medical cannabis industry, running concurrently with an illegal industry, has no interaction or spillover in either direction.”