Following the recent passage of the Medicinal Cannabis Industry Act in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, many persons may be wondering how to legally participate in the industry. Below we outline four primary things – A B C D – that the Medicinal Cannabis Authority considers when examining an application for a licence: 
Application Fee Payment: An applicant must submit payment or proof of payment of the relevant prescribed application fee, which shall not be refundable. An application which is submitted without the payment or proof of payment of the application fee will be held until receipt of payment or proof of payment. The application fee is a flat EC$ 5,000.00.
Basic Qualification Requirements:An applicant must provide evidence that they meet the following basic (citizen, residence or business) qualification requirements:(i) a citizen of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines(ii) a resident who is an individual who is ordinarily resident in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and has been so for a period of not less than three years immediately preceding the date of the application(iii) a body corporate, or business registered, under the laws of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines(iv) a co-operative society registered under the Co-operative Societies Act or a society registered under the Building Societies Act.
The application will not be considered if at least one (1) of these basic qualifications are not met. The Medicinal Cannabis Industry (Licensing) Regulations provides greater details on the qualification requirements.
Completeness of the Application: An Applicant must amend and refile an Application after receiving notice in writing for the applicant to give to the Authority further information or documents in relation to the application as the Authority reasonably requires or if the application is incomplete. The application will be held until such time as the application is refiled, or further information or documentation received.
Due Diligence: An applicant who does not satisfy the due diligence requirements pursuant to will be disqualified from holding a licence. The Authority will investigate, as part of the due diligence process, the applicant’s criminal record, financial circumstances, and association with other businesses and companies.

–NB: Information in this post was supplied by the SVG Medicinal Cannabis Authority. Visit their website at www.mca.vc.