Jamaica approves two cannabis licenses

Jamaica’s Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) has approved two ganja licenses for a Tier One Cultivators and a Tier One processor.

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Karl Samuda, made the announcement during his presentation during the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives recently.

Tier One Cultivator Licenses are for farms of up to one acre and Tier One Processor Licenses are for the processing of cannabis for medical, scientific and therapeutic purposes, including the manufacture of cannabis-based products. Both licenses represent the smallest scale of operation within the legal licensing framework.

Samuda said the Ministry and the CLA are obligated to ensure that optimum due diligence is adhered to during the licensing process.

“Our current position is that we will not be pushed into making hasty decisions which compromise the process. We will act in a manner consistent with the existing rules and regulations regarding medical marijuana,” he said.

The CLA has received 212 applications from 86 applicants for licenses. Of that number, two applications were withdrawn and 70 are either awaiting documentation or payment of required fees from the applicant.