Jamaica to make it easier for small growers to enter the cannabis industry

Jamaica has decided to make it easier for small farmers to participate in the cannabis industry.

The Cannabis Licensing Authority from Jamaica (CLA) has announced By the end of June, its «special permits» policy was already at an advanced stage of consideration, and consultations with stakeholders had begun.

The goal of the CLA is to reduce barriers to entry in the cannabis industry by granting small-scale farmers a two-year «low-cost» cultivation permit and helping them transition from these «special permits» to full cultivation licenses. medical cannabis.

For the special license, the CLA proposes that all fees be 50% lower than the current fees for a grower’s license. The cost of the license would be 1000$ instead of 2000$, the current cost of a Level 1 grower’s license that authorizes cannabis cultivation on 4000m².

The new rules also propose that applicants for a special permit may still request and be granted an exemption, a deferral, or a payment plan if they continue to have difficulty paying the reduced fees. Special permit holders would also be able to sell their ganja to another special permit holder, a grower, or a processor who is already licensed.

Hardley Lewin, president of the Jamaica Licensed Cannabis Association (JLCA), said these proposals are «a big step forward.« »We all need to work together,« Lewin said. »This is one space, one industry.”

ACC Chief Financial Officer Lincoln Allen also praised this initiative.

«Trust, commitment, and a shared vision are essential to building this industry,» Allen said. «Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes an entire country to build an industry.»

Jamaica has legalized medical cannabis in 2015.