Two men arrested for marijuana possession after Antigua’s Cannabis Festival are mounting a legal defence, arguing that their actions were protected by special event permissions.
Their lawyers are challenging the charges, seeking full disclosure of the circumstances surrounding the arrests. One of the men, a member of the Nyabinghi faith, claims his use of cannabis was religious, a right recognised during the festival under temporary exemptions.
The event, sanctioned by Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin, allowed public consumption of cannabis during specific ceremonies. Regis Burton, head of the Medicinal Cannabis Authority, previously highlighted the festival’s unique permissions for religious use.
Defence teams are expected to argue that these approvals should shield their clients from prosecution.
