Saint Vincent & The Grenadines

Interview With Renae Blackhall

By Isabella DeChard

Renae arrived in the Caribbean circa 2021 to help a startup cannabis company that found itself in the weeds

Feeling burnt out by Canada’s legal market, she and her partner were contacted about a new cultivation opportunity for a commercial cannabis farm in the Caribbean Intrigued to learn more, they packed their bags and were en route to their next cannaadventure

Today, CannaSVG is a large-scale cannabis cultivation that produces medical cannabis for patients seeking an alternative, holistic approach to wellness

Located in the Caribbean nation of St Vincent & The Grenadines (SVG), this cannabis cultivation runs on a 60-acre, cutting-edge outdoor organic farm. An extensive number of 96’ x 30’ greenhouses help to control all parameters of the perpetual plant cycle including a cloud-based system, lighting, irrigation, climate control, and light deprivation techniques as part of their innovative cultivation practices.

But back in 2021, shortly before their arrival on the island, La Soufriere, the largest active volcano in the Caribbean erupted Devastating damage wrecked the Caribbean islands and this new outdoor cannabis farm had been completely wiped away

Nearly all the plants and cultivations on this startup property had been wrecked in the eruption The aftermath of volcanic ash and soot lingered throughout the island – in the air, on plants, and according to Renae, you can still see some piles of char around the island today.

It wasn’t long after the volcano’s eruption and their arrival that they both quickly realized the work they had cut out for them

Operating on Island Time

The challenges for this Caribbean cannabis company didn’t stop here Renae began to recognize other obstacles that stood in the way of establishing and operating a commercial medical cannabis company.

“The logistics for operating in this market have been a challenge for sure,” Renae reflected on the common initial hurdle faced for starting CannaSVG back up again (If you’re in the cannabis industry and haven’t heard a comment like this before, then you probably haven’t worked in cannabis long enough).

With the island’s remote location and the often urgent demand for specific cultivation supplies or equipment, it wasn’t easy treading Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, among a variety of other reasons, any shipped supplies or imported goods for the cannabis operation had both an increased cost and wait time for delivery

Compared to what they had experienced in the North American market, there were also no training or compliance standards for cultivating medical cannabis in SVG. Plus, any licensing or permits required for CannaSVG as a medical cannabis company is an elongated process– as Renae put it, “Everyone’s on island time ”

Countering a Cannabis Culture

Aside from a rupturing volcano initially wiping away CannaSVG’s cash crop, pushback from the community stirred them into having to think and operate in a whole new direction

Pot’s prohibition became widespread throughout the Caribbean starting around the 20th century This crackdown on cannabis established a negative stigma on the plant and its benefits – the same plant the Rastafarian culture had honored as a sacred tool in religious ceremonies for thousands of years

For decades, the Rastafarian culture went against the grain of white foreigners and settlers who had moved to the Caribbean to establish wealth. Legacy and legendary cannabis farmers continued operating a ‘smooth-sailing’ illicit market to fund their entire livelihood, keeping their “Mom and Pop” shops afloat

So when medical cannabis was legalized in 2017 – a dynamic diversion grew between the traditional cultivator space known by legacy growers, and the more modern strategies of a new medical industry.

Global Cannabis for a Sustainable Medical Market

CannaSVG is granted by the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to legally export medical cannabis to patients on a global scale. Although CannaSVG’s medical cannabis exporting currently excludes some sales paths to countries (like the U.S.), the goal of this global cannabis export is to develop a sustainable and competitive sub-regional medicinal wellness ecosystem foreigners and settlers who had moved to

Between their cultivation, processing, and soon-to-be tourist opportunities, CannaSVG is committed to providing quality plant medicine to the global community and preserving the land through strong sustainable efforts in the process.

By donating to local co-ops and engaging and working within nearby neighborhoods, they’re better understanding how to incorporate medical cannabis in a fun and restorative way while honoring and respecting its roots and cultural origin in the process.

In addition to launching their in-house brand, Summus, they are working to open a cannabis cafe, consumption lounge, and medical dispensary to host tourists and medical patients from around the world

She has a clear vision of how cannabis and tourism can directly impact local companies and give cultural communities a seat at the table.

Growing an Economy Through Cannabis Tourism

Today, Renae is COO of CannaSVG Between her passion for cannabis wellness and background in hospitality, she’s working to bring tourism to CannaSVG and the Caribbean

She has a clear vision of how cannabis and tourism can directly impact local companies and give cultural communities a seat at the table Cannabis tourism in the Caribbean can help rebuild and redefine the Rastafarian culture that was oppressed during prohibition, while positively promoting the economic base of this small island.

Even with the island’s slightly traditional religious view on cannabis, Renae hopes to be both a professional representative and advocate for self medicating through plant wellness. “I really hope to affect change. Every generation will have their needs for tourism, let’s be the frontier of cannabis wellness tourism and be able to provide the service in the many forms of healing,” she comments, “Let’s make medicine fun!”

With their devotion to the power of plant wellness, the hope of CannaSVG and Summus is to bring a sense of wellness and relaxation to visitors

“On a trip to, let’s say, Cancun, you may come back feeling hungover or exhausted We want cannabis tourism to be an immersive experience with plant healing that is not just a vacation, but a treat to wellness for yourself.”

Directions Make Lemon Sugar

Add sugar to a plate then rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until tinted yellow and fragrant.

Make Martini

Moisten the rim of a chilled martini glass with the juiced lemon, turn the glass upside down and twist into the lemon sugar, set aside.

Add vodka, Cointreau (or triple sec), lemon juice, simple syrup and a handful of ice to a cocktail shaker. Shake for 30 seconds or until very cold. Strain into the prepared martini glass and serve immediately.

ENJOY!

ecipe for simple syrup equal to 15 mg e with Shoogies, a THC nano-infused der edible enhancer. It’s water-soluble, sorption into liquids and food.

oon = 5mg of fast-acting T w.shoogies.com gar, for glass rim ter from Fancy Sprinkles: w.fancysprinkles.com

Melanie Rizzo

Bring a large canteen to fill with water once you're through the airport security gate Especially on long-haul flights, hydration is key for feeling good once you land. Avoid the temptation to consume alcohol, even if it's free on the flight

Rebekah Jenks

When I'm traveling, I like to create music playlists for different parts of the journey I'll download those with a few audio books to my phone so I've got options when in airplane mode.

Make a packing list before anything goes in a bag. It's to easy to think you already packed something you didn't.

Isabella DeChard

An edible before take off will always help drown out the crying baby sitting behind you. And if you're traveling with flower, vacuum sealed bags are your friend!

Dustin Hoxworth

My #1 travel tip is to take the extra time and spend the cash to get TSA precheck. I haven't waited in a security line in years. It removes a lot of my anxiety when dealing with airports.

Lindsey Gunter

Always bring extra sunscreen, otherwise you might find yourself peeling for days after a trip. If I'm camping I braid my hair for convenience. Lastly, I try to pack relatively light just in case I want to go shopping. got to have room to bring home what you buy!