CannaBliss
  SVG Festival 2025

October 2nd – October 5th 2025
Victoria Park, Kingstown

Meet the voices shaping the future of medicinal cannabis.

Join us for powerful and enlightening discussions led by expert thought leaders, exploring key themes such as:

• Legal Justice Reform

• Medical Benefits and Harms

• Cultivation and Production

• Regulation and Consumer Safety

Meet Our Speakers

Speaker 1

Mr. John Walsh

Director for Drug Policy and the Andes

Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA)

John’s drug policy research and advocacy are focused on the limits and harms of prohibition and supply control policies, and the urgent need to reform drug policy to support human rights, equity, health, safety and sustainability. Read more

Speaker 2

Dr. Machel Emanuel

Senior Lecturer/Researcher, Life Sciences

University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica

Dr. Machel Emanuel is a Senior Lecturer/Researcher in the Department of Life Sciences at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica. Read more

Speaker 3

Michael Krawitz

Executive Director, Veterans For Medical Cannabis Access (VMCA)

A disabled United States Air Force Veteran [Sergeant, 1981 -1986]. Michael Krawitz serves as Executive director of Veterans For Medical Cannabis Access [VMCA] as well as other board and advisory roles. Read more

Speaker 4

Daphnée Elisma

Daphnée Elisma is a Canadian jurist and advocate for medical cannabis policy reform. She serves as Canada's national representative on the International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines (IACM) Patient Council, where she engages with United Nations institutions on medical cannabis policy development. Read more

Speaker 5

Ika Washington, MSc.

Principal/Founder, DiversityTalk

Ika Washington is a medical cannabis patient and health policy specialist whose work bridges lived experience with professional expertise. Read more

Speaker 6

Dr. Roxanne Brizan-St.Martin

Programme Director, Health, Social Inclusion and Social Protection

Dr. Roxanne Brizan-St.Martin serves as the Programme Director, Health, Social Inclusion and Social Protection at the OECS Commission. Read more

Speaker 7

Junior Spirit Cottle

Head of the Cannabis Revival Committee (CRC)

Junior Spirit Cottle is the oldest active traditional cultivator of Cannabis in St. Vincent and the Grenadines with over fifty-five (55) years of experience in this field. Read more

Speaker 8

Dr. Patrick Antoine

Chief Executive Officer and Technical Director of the CARICOM Private Sector Organization (CPSO) Secretariat

Dr. Patrick Antoine is a renowned Caribbean Intellectual and Regional Thinker with a wealth of experience in both the public and private spheres. Read more

Speaker 9

Sarah David

Head of Project of the Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development (GPDPD)

Sarah David is the Head of Project of the “Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development (GPDPD)” at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), where she has led different initiatives since 2016. Read more

Speaker 10

Dr. Jahmito James

Medical Officer and Medicinal Cannabis Advocate

Dr. Jahmito James, Medical Officer and Medicinal Cannabis Advocate, licensed and committed to holistic approaches in health care with a passion to dissipate the stigma surrounding medicinal cannabis and providing a transformative outlook to health and life in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and beyond.

Speaker 11

Abidan Tafari

Executive member of the Rastafari And Grassroot Ganja Association(R.A.G.G.A.)

Abidan Tafari is a member of the sovereign indigenous Alkebulan/Ethiopian Ras Tafari community in Jamaica. Hailing from a family whom adheres to the traditional uses of indigenous herbal medicine, Abidan naturally followed the path of a holistic healer. Read more

Speaker 12

Dr. Marcus Goffe

Attorney-at-Law, Partner at Goffe Law and legal consultant

Dr. Marcus Goffe is an Attorney-at-Law, Partner at Goffe Law and legal consultant who has 24 years of experience in several areas of law, including intellectual property (IP) law, entertainment and media law, criminal law, human rights law, indigenous rights law and cannabis law. Dr. Goffe is also a law lecturer, community rights activist and environmental defender. Read more

Speaker 13

Dr. John Holliday

Founder and President of Aloha Medicinals Inc

Dr. John C. Holliday is an internationally acclaimed expert in mycology, biotechnology, and mechanical engineering. With more than four decades of experience, he has combined science, engineering, and entrepreneurship to advance the fields of medicinal mushroom cultivation and applied mycology. Read more