Vice President Emmanuel Alexander detailed the requirements for enrollment into the cooperative, saying that members’ contributions will help finance initiatives. This, he says, will create a revenue stream for the Cooperative.

“We need to develop our own source of revenue stream. We set up registration at $100EC which is non-refundable. We also have a share capital which is $100EC at 10 shares, which is $1000,” he explained. He says the reason for this decision is that members will benefit more in the long run. “The reason for that is we realise cooperatives start at maybe $5 or $10, but that cannot work. If we have 500 initial members, that’s half a million dollars, which can be used for refunds for our members.”

 The interim President of the organisation, Andre de Caires, is inviting unregistered sellers to join the Cooperative and the fight for commercialisation. One of the concerns outlined by de Caires is ensuring the funds generated by the sale of cannabis remain in the hands of locals.

 “One of our concerns is foreign people coming and taking over the business as it happens in other countries. We devised a way that we could actually generate and keep the money in Saint Lucia,” he explained. De Caires also says the Cooperative will operate as a produce seller for crops grown by farmers across the island. Equality, he says, is the main objective. “We’d like the Cooperative to be a marketing board, supplying inputs and technical assistance. The Cooperative ensures everyone has an equal opportunity to play in this business.”

 Public Relations Officer, Aaron Alexander, stresses the need for legal employment for cannabis cultivators. The legalisation of sale, he says, will not only provide job security but will help reduce crime.