Senators passed a compendium of bills related to the decriminalization of Cannabis and bills changing the legal framework for intellectual property.

Opposition Senator, Michela Barnett-Ellis opined that portions of the intellectual property bills should be changed. During her presentation she said, “if a doctor in The Bahamas invents new, cutting edge, paradigm shifting procedure they will not be able to patent that procedure in The Bahamas to protect their right to be credited for their innovation. New uses for known substances will not be able to be patented under this bill. We just debated the Cannabis compendium, if a doctor in The Bahamas discovers a new use for Cannabis needed to treat medical conditions they will not be able to patent it in The Bahamas.”

Attorney General, Senator Ryan Pinder responded saying, “we have a separate piece of legislation coming in Phase 2 regarding new plant varieties which gives its own protective framework for the agribusiness section and the agri-research section for new plant varieties because we think that is a significant component of our collective IP envelope. The reason we’re doing this is phases is because these are the three primary pieces that general have widespread protection uses. We want to put these in place get the IP office up and running, get these integrated and then come back with the bills.”

Several other bills were also passed in the Senate.

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