Saboto Caesar, the Agriculture Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, has called on CARICOM and OECS member states to unify their cannabis legislation frameworks. Speaking at the Cannabliss 2025 Conference, Caesar emphasized that a harmonized legal approach would save time and resources for new entrants into the cannabis industry. He described such a framework as a ‘plug-and-play’ solution, enabling countries to avoid the costly and time-consuming process of drafting individual laws. Caesar highlighted the ‘Waiting to Exhale’ study by CARICOM as a foundational guide for national policy decisions, outlining three potential pathways for cannabis industry development: purely recreational, purely medicinal, or a hybrid approach. St Vincent and the Grenadines initially adopted a cautious, purely medicinal strategy with full religious tolerance, which allowed the country to attract early investor interest. However, Caesar noted that this wave of investment has since diminished, underscoring the urgency for regional collaboration. He criticized the double standards within CARICOM, where some member states import cannabis from North America while restricting exports from neighboring countries. Drawing parallels to the cooperative success of the banana industry in the Windward Islands, Caesar urged governments to adopt a collective approach. He also advocated for integrating cannabis into a broader health and wellness economy, emphasizing synergies with other natural products like turmeric and moringa. To achieve this vision, Caesar stressed the need to restructure industry management institutions, separating regulatory functions from research and development. He concluded by positioning cannabis as a cornerstone for a diversified Caribbean wellness sector, combining agriculture, culture, science, and tourism to transition from raw exports to global leadership in the wellness economy.