Dr. Machal Emanuel, a member of the faculty of Life Sciences at the University of the West Indies, is working on bringing back the legendary cannabis smoked by reggae legends like Peter Tosh and Bob Marley, writes Neil Bonner. 

"In the 50s, 60s, 70s, Jamaica was known for its landrace cultivar, which definitely gave Jamaica that international reputation,” Dr. Emanuel told The Daily Mail. 

Its holistic focus, commitment to social responsibility, and competitive advantage set Jamaica Cannabis Estates apart in the rapid-growth medical cannabis industry.

Here, Jamaica Cannabis Estates delve into the world of the medical cannabis industry. Utilising the most current research along with proprietary data analytics collected from over 7,000 medical cannabis users, Jamaica Cannabis Estates (JCEL) has developed an exclusive line of medical, wellness, lifestyle and medi-spa products designed to effectively treat some of the most prevalent human conditions.

For the past 30 weeks, WeedEd has been exploring the intricacies of Jamaica’s new cannabis industry. The mission was simple: educate ourselves on cannabis and the opportunities it presents and elevate our thinking about what cannabis can mean to our society.

Today is the final feature in the series, and one thing has stood out above all others, and that is the need for a more efficient way of working by all the stakeholders.

Tea has been around for centuries; so has cannabis-infused tea. It appears the first recorded medical prescription of marijuana, way back in 2737 BC, was actually in the form of cannabis-infused tea.

Travel agents know it’s not exactly insider information that Jamaica's relaxed marijuana laws have always made the island a draw for cannabis-lovers looking to light up from their ocean view villas without being harassed.

But would making marijuana legal worldwide, or at least throughout the Caribbean region, weaken Jamaica’s unspoken advantage over other destinations?

As the cannabis culture celebrates the unofficial 4/20 holiday, we felt it was the perfect time to tackle this cloudy issue.

The nascent medical cannabis business in Jamaica is challenged by limited access to banking facilities. Many of the major banks have asked clients engaged in legal medical cannabis businesses to close their accounts for fear of breaching federal laws in the USA. Further, despite provision in law for researchers to investigate and innovate, projects are being held until financial rules are settled. On top of this structural barrier, scepticism and stigma perfuse the system.

Minister of Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture, and Fisheries, Audley Shaw, recently lauded Cannabis company, Jacana, for making a multi-million-dollar investment in the cannabis industry as the first local entity to export cannabis flowers from Jamaica.

It was further reported by New Cannabis Ventures on February 28th, 2019 that Jacana has completed the first-ever international export of Jamaican medicinal cannabis flower, securing multiple international licenses and permits to date.

As a commercial cannabis industry is established in Jamaica, more Caribbean nations are moving toward decriminalization and establishing medical marijuana programs.

With regional leader Jamaica having recently exported its first cannabis products to Canada, other island nations of the Caribbean are readying their own proposals for either decriminalization, a legal medical market for cannabis, or both. 

After Jamaica, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines was next to strike out towards decriminalization, and it looks like Saint Kitts & Nevis are headed in that direction as well. Dominica and Grenada are also studying such proposals.

Barbados has announced plans to establish a medicinal cannabis industry project implementation unit tasked with establishing the administrative framework for the timely implementation of the project.

Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who delivered her administration's 2019-2020 national budget, earlier this week, said the Unit will be headed by a director, who will be responsible for championing the programme and ensuring that an expansive educational and sensitisation campaign is implemented.

She said it was necessary to explain to Barbadians “what we are doing with the development of this new industry and how it can help many many Bajans in the management of serious medical conditions which the fees in this country”.