Cannabis Fiji

14/12/2025

14/12/2025

Cannabis, the Endocannabinoid System, and Why Fiji Must Treat It as a Medical Issue — Not a Criminal One

In Fiji today, many people remain uncertain about what cannabis really is — and how it affects the human body.¹ For decades, cannabis has been treated primarily as a criminal matter under national drug laws.² But recent science and international developments now clearly tell a different story: around the world — including through the United Nations (UN) — cannabis is formally recognized as having legitimate medical value.³

This means cannabis is no longer just a law-and-order issue, but a public health and medical issue as well.³ This raises a clear question for Fiji: if the world now recognizes cannabis as medicine, why is Fiji still treating it mainly as a crime?

What Is the Endocannabinoid System (ECS)?

One of the key ways cannabis works is by interacting with a natural system that exists in every human: the Endocannabinoid System (ECS).⁴

Think of your body like a complex, finely tuned instrument. To stay healthy, the body needs many processes — sleep, mood, appetite, pain perception, immune responses — to stay in balance.⁵ The ECS is one of the body’s internal regulators that helps maintain that balance, a state known as homeostasis.⁴

The ECS operates through three main parts:

Endocannabinoids — molecules your body produces naturally; they act like “keys.”⁶

Receptors — “locks” located throughout the brain, nerves, organs and other tissues, where these keys bind.⁷

Enzymes — molecules that break down endocannabinoids when they’re no longer needed — the “cleanup crew.”⁴

When something disrupts your balance — like pain, stress, or illness — the ECS works to restore stability.⁸ Because the ECS influences many physiological processes (pain, mood, immunity, digestion, sleep), it plays a central role in overall health.⁴⁵

How Cannabis Interacts With the ECS

Cannabis contains plant-based cannabinoids — most notably THC and CBD — which are chemically different but functionally similar to the body’s own endocannabinoids.⁴⁷

When a person uses cannabis, these cannabinoids can bind to ECS receptors — much like extra keys — influencing how the body responds.⁷

THC can produce effects that may include relief from pain, reduction of nausea, appetite stimulation, and relaxation.⁹

CBD does not produce the “high” associated with THC.¹⁰ It has been clinically researched for certain forms of epilepsy and may also have anti-inflammatory and calming effects.¹¹

Because of these effects, many people worldwide now use cannabis-based medicines for chronic pain, epilepsy, chemotherapy side-effects, sleep difficulties, and more.⁹¹¹

In December 2020, after a scientific review by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations officially removed cannabis from its most dangerous drug category (Schedule IV) and formally recognized its medical value.³

Why This Matters for Fiji

Under current laws in Fiji — the Illicit Drugs Control Act 2004 — most forms of cannabis remain illegal.²

In 2022, Fiji passed an amendment that created a legal distinction between industrial h**p (cannabis with -1% THC) and other forms of cannabis, allowing h**p farming and export under strict regulation.¹²

However, medical cannabis remains illegal, and all other cannabis is still treated as a criminal substance under the same Act.²¹²

This means many people in Fiji suffering from:

• Chronic pain
• Epilepsy
• Cancer-related symptoms
• Sleep disorders and
• inflammation

— conditions for which cannabis shows real medical promise — still lack lawful access to treatment and risk criminal punishment simply for trying to manage their health.⁹¹¹

Right now, Fiji’s laws are treating a substance the United Nations recognizes as medicine as if it were only a criminal threat.³²

What Reform Could Offer — With Care and Nuance

Given the science and the UN’s medical recognition, reforming Fiji’s approach could offer several benefits:

Medical access for patients in need

Economic opportunities — under the 2022 amendment, Fiji already opened the door to h**p cultivation and export¹²

A regulatory path that separates industrial h**p, medical cannabis, and illicit recreational use while ensuring safety, quality, and controlled distribution¹³

If done responsibly — with medical oversight, licensing, dosage standards, and public education — cannabis-based therapies will support Fiji’s health system instead of burdening the justice system.¹³

Key Realities & Necessary Nuances

Not all medical claims about cannabis are equally supported. Evidence is stronger for some conditions (such as epilepsy and chemotherapy-related nausea) than for others (such as chronic pain, anxiety, or sleep).⁹¹¹

Legal reform must include:

• Medical regulation
• Quality control
• THC limits
• Doctor-guided access

The fact that Fiji legalized h**p shows political willingness to engage with cannabis regulation — but h**p legalization is not the same as medical legalization.¹²

Conclusion: A Health-First, Evidence-Driven Approach

The Endocannabinoid System and global medical research show clearly that cannabis is not just a “street drug.”⁴⁹ It interacts with a real biological system, and under controlled medical conditions, can offer real therapeutic benefit.⁹¹¹

For Fiji, the choice is now clear: continue treating cannabis only as a criminal issue, or accept the UN’s recognition and move toward a health-first, science-based policy.³²

Once the world’s highest drug authority recognizes cannabis as medicine, continuing to treat patients as criminals becomes a failure of medical justice — not just a policy debate.³

It is time for Fiji’s cannabis policy to catch up with science and global medical standards.

Vinaka.

Footnotes / References

1. Regional media & public health commentary on cannabis education gaps in the Pacific

2. Fiji — Illicit Drugs Control Act 2004

3. United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), Dec 2020 rescheduling vote following WHO review

4. Lu & Mackie, Endocannabinoid System Review, PubMed Central

5. General physiology & homeostasis (standard medical science)

6. Anandamide & 2-AG (primary human endocannabinoids)

7. CB1 & CB2 receptor distribution studies

8. ECS stress-response & immune modulation research

9. National Academies of Sciences (2017) — cannabis for pain, nausea, appetite

10. WHO CBD Review Report (2018)

11. FDA approval of Epidiolex (CBD) for epilepsy

12. Fiji — Illicit Drugs Control (Budget Amendment) Act 2022

13. WHO / Health Canada / Australian TGA medical cannabis regulatory frameworks

Sign the Petition for Cannabis Reform in Fiji: www.change.org/p/decriminalize-cannabis-in-fiji-for-our-health-wealth-and-justice ***aFiji

14/12/2025

“All Communities Free to Do Business” — Except When the Business Is Cannabis

On 13 December 2025, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka stated at the opening of the George Shiu Raj Complex in Rakiraki that “all ethnic communities in Fiji are safe, protected and free to pursue their economic interests.” That statement was made in a celebratory context about private investment and inclusive growth. But when examined against the Government’s existing laws and policies on cannabis — especially its export-only orientation and absence of an operational domestic cannabis regime — the assurance does not align with the evidence.

Claim vs. Legal Reality

The Prime Minister’s assurance implies sector-neutral economic freedom. Yet, under Fiji’s current legal framework:

Cannabis remains illegal for general cultivation, possession, supply, and use under the Illicit Drugs Control Act, except where narrowly exempted (i.e., industrial h**p under 1% THC). All other forms of cannabis remain classified as illicit, but even the framework for that hasn't even rolled out yet

Industrial h**p (defined as cannabis with -1% THC) was removed from the illicit classification to allow industrial use; all other cannabis remains an illicit drug.

As of late 2025, medicinal cannabis has not been legally established as a domestic industry in Fiji, because the enabling legislation approved for drafting has not yet been passed by Parliament. There is no publicly accessible licensing regime for citizens to cultivate or produce medicinal cannabis legally.

Fiji’s Police and narcotics authorities have confirmed that the existing illegal-cultivation provisions remain in force, and no current law permits unlicensed growing of cannabis for medicinal or recreational purposes.

These facts show that, while the Government discusses the potential of a cannabis industry, the legal basis for ordinary citizens to participate does not yet exist.

Export-Only Policy: Where the Statement Breaks

Contrary to the Prime Minister’s assurance of universal economic freedom, the Government’s public statements on cannabis emphasise an export-only model, which in practice excludes local markets and local participants:

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade Manoa Kamikamica has repeatedly stated that any medicinal cannabis industry in Fiji will be limited to export purposes and will not be available for domestic sale or use.

Kamikamica has also emphasised that developing this industry will not change domestic prohibition — meaning cannabis cultivation, sales, and use remain illegal for Fijians under current law while the export sector is prioritised.

Government communications confirm that export-oriented cultivation and processing facilities would operate under strict, confined environments intended for value-added export products, with domestic market access explicitly off the table.

These official statements indicate a policy sequence in which foreign investors and export markets are prioritised, while ordinary Fijians remain legally excluded from participating in an industry that is otherwise being positioned as economically beneficial.

How Exclusion Operates in Practice

This structural exclusion is not accidental — it is a direct product of current legislation and policy design:

1. Criminal law is unchanged for cannabis outside h**p. Cannabis cultivation and supply remain offences under the Illicit Drugs Control Act, and law-enforcement authorities have reiterated that illegal cultivation remains punishable.

2. Medicinal cannabis legislation remains in draft form. Cabinet approval to draft law does not confer legal status or a functioning licensing regime.

3. Export-only positioning prioritises external markets. Official statements make clear that the cannabis industry is being structured for exports, not local participation.

4. No public pathway exists for local licences. There is no published criteria, timelines, or public registry showing cannabis licences issued to ordinary citizens or community groups.

Together, these points show that participation in the cannabis economy is structurally limited, even if the industry is being promoted in policy discussions.

Optics vs. Access

The opening of the George Shiu Raj Complex — a major private sector development — is showcased as a symbol of inclusive growth. Yet in the same moment that the Government celebrates private investment, the actual legal and regulatory regime for cannabis remains inaccessible to the vast majority of Fijians. The contrast between visible economic success in traditional sectors and invisible exclusion in cannabis reveals a stark inconsistency between political rhetoric and legal reality.

International Context

The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs reclassified cannabis in December 2020 to recognise medical value, reducing international barriers to medicinal cannabis reform. This global shift means that countries can create domestic frameworks if they choose to do so — but it does not automatically establish such frameworks. Fiji has not yet enacted a comprehensive medicinal cannabis regime, despite the international context permitting it. (International sources on UN actions are available publicly but not all Fiji media cites this; global policy reports confirm the UN decision.)

Unanswered Questions

To reconcile universal economic freedom with the Government’s cannabis policy reality, the following questions must be answered:

1. When will the medicinal cannabis legislation be tabled, debated, and passed into law?

2. Why has an export-only framework been prioritised before establishing domestic access for Fijians?

3. Will future licensing criteria explicitly include small farmers, local cooperatives, and iTaukei landowners?

4. Will the Government publish a public register of cannabis licences, agreements, and beneficiaries once the regime is established?

Until these are publicly addressed with law and regulation, the claim of unfettered economic freedom remains unsupported in this sector.

Conclusion

Prime Minister Rabuka’s statement that “all communities are free to pursue their economic interests” reflects a broad aspiration. But in the specific case of cannabis, the law and current policy show that ordinary citizens do not have lawful access to participate in an industry being publicly developed with an export-first focus.

Where legal pathways do not yet exist, and where the Government’s own messaging restricts participation to export markets and confined facilities, the claim of universal economic freedom is not borne out by the facts.

Sign the Petition for Cannabis Reform in Fiji: www.change.org/p/decriminalize-cannabis-in-fiji-for-our-health-wealth-and-justice ***aFiji

14/12/2025

DR SHARMA’S OPINION WRONG – 2006 COUP MUST NOT BE PATRONISED AS “CORRECTIVE” – ANY COUP IS TREASON & UNLAWFUL
Suva | 14.12.2025

Dr Sharma, whom I assume to be an academic, published an opinion yesterday in The Fiji Times.

In it, Dr Sharma appears to challenge the dominant narrative that treats all coups as morally equivalent. Specifically, he seeks to defend the 2006 coup as fundamentally different, portraying it as corrective rather than exclusionary.

In my view, this is deeply troubling. It is sad for anyone—let alone an academic—to advance such reasoning. A coup is treason. A coup is unlawful. A coup is a crime against the Constitution and the people. It must never be patronised, sanitised, or justified—whatever the stated motive.

First, there is no such thing as a “good coup” or a “corrective coup.” Once force is used to overthrow an elected government, the rule of law collapses. Moral ranking of coups is itself dangerous, because it normalises treason when the outcome suits certain interests.

Second, Dr Sharma’s argument dangerously elevates outcomes over legality. Constitutional democracy does not work on results-based justification. An unlawful act does not become lawful because some groups later benefit from it. That reasoning destroys constitutional restraint altogether.

Third, by portraying the 2006 coup as inclusive, Dr Sharma ignores the fact that it suspended the Constitution, dismissed the judiciary, ruled by decree, censored the media, and criminalised dissent. Inclusion imposed by coercion is not inclusion—it is authoritarianism.

Fourth, his reasoning implicitly excuses military supremacy in civilian politics. Once the military is framed as a legitimate “corrective” force, civilian governments govern only at the pleasure of the gun. That is the very definition of a coup culture.

Fifth, the article appears to rationalise the racist 2013 Constitution, which stripped out nine critical protections from the 1997 Constitution that explicitly recognised and safeguarded iTaukei cultural identity, communal rights, and indigenous institutions. Equality imposed by erasure is not equality.

Sixth, removing group protections while centralising power in the State did not create unity; it created resentment, silence, and fear. The absence of open conflict does not mean justice—it often means suppression.

Seventh, the 1997 Constitution was the product of dialogue, compromise, and legitimacy. The 2013 Constitution was the product of decree, force, and exclusion from participation. No academic framing can rewrite that historical truth.

Eighth, justifying coups—especially from an academic platform—undermines the very foundations of constitutionalism. If scholars abandon the principle that legality matters above all, then democracy is left defenceless against future adventurism.

Coups do not heal nations. They traumatise them. They destroy trust, hollow institutions, and teach future leaders that power can be seized rather than earned. Fiji will never escape its coup legacy until all coups—without exception—are condemned as unlawful, illegitimate, and unacceptable.

History must be confronted honestly, but treason must never be rehabilitated as reform.

14/12/2025

Just chilling 😍☘️🍃🔥

14/12/2025

Old stoner

14/12/2025

Yadra Mai Viti

Sign this petition today and be part of the change — let's go Fiji! - sign now. https://www.change.org/p/decriminalize-cannabis-in-fiji-for-our-health-wealth-and-justice?recruiter=1369391345&recruited_by_id=98ad10a0-095e-11f0-ac74-f3359c315aa7&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_content=cl_sharecopy_490493389_en-US%3A3

14/12/2025

Yadra Mai Viti

Sign this petition today and be part of the change — let's go Fiji! - sign now. https://www.change.org/p/decriminalize-cannabis-in-fiji-for-our-health-wealth-and-justice?recruiter=1369391345&recruited_by_id=98ad10a0-095e-11f0-ac74-f3359c315aa7&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_content=cl_sharecopy_490493389_en-US%3A3

Best flowers 😍☘️🍃🫩

13/12/2025

Yadra Mai Viti

Sign this petition today and be part of the change — let's go Fiji! - sign now. https://www.change.org/p/decriminalize-cannabis-in-fiji-for-our-health-wealth-and-justice?recruiter=1369391345&recruited_by_id=98ad10a0-095e-11f0-ac74-f3359c315aa7&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_content=cl_sharecopy_490493389_en-US%3A3

Rescheduling cannabis doesn’t end prohibition—it only reshapes it, says Cato’s Jeffrey Singer, MD.

Real reform requires Congress to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and allow states to regulate it openly, without burdening patients, clinicians, researchers, or businesses with a legal illusion.

➡️ https://ow.ly/zuY950XIE4P