St Vincent & Jamaica Viewed As Main Suppliers Of Marijuana To Antigua

Category: Island Talk Created on Wednesday, 11 April 2012 10:20

Law enforcement officials in Antigua & Barbuda are of the belief that the main suppliers of marijuana to the island are from the islands of Jamaica and St Vincent & the Grenadines.

Officials also believe that one of the reasons why drug trafficking is difficult to control in Antigua is due to the island's geographical location, with over 365 beaches that can be used as entry points. 

There have been a series of recent seizures of marijuana plants throughout the island but officials are not convinced that this signals a rise in the drug being prevalent. 

Head of  Antigua's Narcotics Department, Senior Sergeant Euciffe Charles said, “The cultivation of cannabis in Antigua is not as serious as in the other countries because we have a very dry climate here and once in a while we get a little water here and there.” 

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Henry Christian, stated that regular police patrols have kept marijuana production low in Antigua & Barbuda.

Senior Sergeant Charles did however admit that marijuana is being grown in “quite a few places” around the island but he believes it is on a small scale and would not be sufficient for export.

He commented, “Not too much marijuana is grown on a large scale, but enough for their own personal use, but not enough to supply the country’s demand for cannabis.” 

A recent marijuana bust by members of Antigua's Special Services and K-9 Units resulted in the seizure of 10,000 marijuana plants. It is estimated that the street value of this seizure would have been around  EC$1 million.