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AFTER FOUR STALLED YEARS AND ZERO LICENCES, ST. KITTS-NEVIS TURNS TO SVG’S SABOTO CAESAR TO RESCUE MEDICINAL CANNABIS SECTOR

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS — July 17, 2026 — After nearly four years of promises, executive changes and limited visible progress, Saint Kitts and Nevis has enlisted former St. Vincent and the Grenadines Agriculture Minister Saboto Caesar to help jump-start its stalled medicinal cannabis industry.

The regional intervention comes amid growing questions about the management and direction of the sector. Despite reportedly operating under a 15-member board of directors and having three chief executive officers in four years, available information indicates that not a single medicinal cannabis licence has been issued to date.

Caesar, widely associated with the development of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ cannabis wellness framework, is expected to assist Saint Kitts and Nevis in designing a banking and compliance structure capable of satisfying local financial institutions and international partners.

His arrival is particularly significant because it comes only months after Attorney General Garth Wilkin reportedly declared that a viable medicinal cannabis industry was not possible under current global correspondent-banking regulations.

That earlier assessment raised serious doubts about whether cannabis businesses in the Federation could legally and securely receive payments, conduct international transactions or protect local banks from regulatory exposure.

Caesar will reportedly meet with financial institutions and advise on policies, compliance standards and “seed-to-sale” tracking technology. The system is intended to improve transparency by monitoring cannabis from cultivation through processing and sale.

From a regional perspective, the contrast is striking. St. Vincent and the Grenadines advanced to become the first OECS member state to export medicinal cannabis, while Saint Kitts and Nevis remains at the stage of trying to establish a workable banking framework.

Critics say the decision to seek outside expertise confirms that the industry has lacked decisive leadership and effective implementation under Minister Samal Duggins and the Drew administration.

After four years, three CEOs, a large board and zero licences, another consultation will not be enough. The public will now expect timelines, accountability and measurable results.