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When Minister of Agriculture and Creative Economy Hon. Samal Duggins triumphantly declared in 2022 that under his stewardship the cannabis industry in St. Kitts and Nevis would be “literally growing money on trees,” many Kittitians and Nevisians believed a new era of opportunity was dawning. Duggins had painted an alluring picture — an industry that would diversify the economy, create jobs for young people, and position the Federation as a Caribbean leader in medicinal and industrial cannabis.

Three years later, that bold promise has gone up in smoke.

From “New Day” to No Day

In a speech that now reads like cruel irony, Duggins boasted:

“The marijuana industry, as we have heard, is a multi-billion-dollar industry and we have been dragging at a snail’s pace… Literally growing money on trees, but yet somehow we don’t want to participate. But I dare say that era is over and it’s now a new day and a better way. So in 2023, expect a vibrant, thriving marijuana industry.”

Yet as 2025 draws to a close, there is no thriving cannabis industry — not even a functional one. What exists instead is bureaucratic paralysis, token board appointments, and a flurry of empty press statements. Despite the appointment of a 15-member Cannabis Authority Board, a new chairman, and a relaunch ceremony complete with political fanfare, the sector has seen no tangible cultivation, no licensed producers, no exports, and no revenues.

The Only Thing Growing: Arrest Statistics

Ironically, the only “growth” seen under Duggins’ ministry is in marijuana-related arrests and prosecutions. While citizens expected legalization and regulation, they’ve instead witnessed an uptick in possession charges — a cruel contradiction to the government’s earlier rhetoric of reform and empowerment. The promised economic boom has been replaced by continued criminalization, particularly of the very youth who were told the new industry would bring them jobs and second chances.

Ministerial Failure Across Portfolios

Duggins’ track record has become a running joke among critics and frustrated citizens alike. The agriculture sector remains stagnant, plagued by poor management, lack of innovation, and dwindling farmer confidence. The sports ministry, once seen as a vehicle for youth empowerment, is adrift without vision or investment. And the much-touted creative economy has been reduced to glitzy concerts and expensive photo ops, with little to show in terms of structural support, grants, or training for real creative entrepreneurs.

Once hailed as the “young visionary” of the Drew administration, Duggins has instead become the poster child for ministerial underperformance — presiding over three floundering portfolios while promising “new days” that never arrive.

Dead on Arrival

The cannabis industry — which could have been a game-changing economic frontier — is now symbolic of the Drew administration’s chronic failure to execute. Instead of “money growing on trees,” there’s political hot air and administrative weeds choking any prospect of success.

As one former industry insider put it bluntly, “St. Kitts and Nevis didn’t even get off the ground. Jamaica, Saint Vincent, Antigua — they all moved ahead. We’re still holding meetings about forming committees.”

For the citizens who once believed in Duggins’ “better way,” the message is now bitterly clear: the cannabis industry is dead on arrival — and the only thing growing is disappointment.