Canadian cannabis producer Aphria Inc. (TSX:APHA)(NYSE:APHA) said on Monday its subsidiary got the green light to open a pot shop in Jamaica.

The Leamington, Ont.-based company’s subsidiary Marigold Projects Jamaica Limited was granted a retail licence from the country’s Cannabis Licensing Authority to open its first store in Kingston this August, according to Aphria’s press release. 

With a largely cannabis-positive culture and recognition as the birthplace of reggae, many are surprised to find Jamaica’s cannabis laws aren’t as in-line with the lifestyles of this Caribbean country’s residents as they might think.

It wasn’t until 2015 that Jamaica even decriminalized marijuana, reducing penalties for possession of small amounts to a petty offense. Residents could then grow up to five plants without being penalized. Now there is access to legal medical cannabis, though getting the ball rolling for a thriving cannabis economy has proved difficult.

The owner of a Jamaican hostel has come up with one of the best ways to help fight beach litter we've ever heard, writes Calvin Hughes.

Marian Erbach—the 33-year-old owner of the Germaican Hostel in Long Bay Beach, Jamaica—had become increasingly annoyed by all of the garbage that he saw washing up on the nearby beach. What would otherwise be a very beautiful ocean-side view was continuously getting spoiled by trash that didn't even originate from the local population.

Director of the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA), Delano Seiveright, says emerging reforms in the United States and Europe relating to cannabis are exactly what Jamaica needs to benefit from the lucrative medical marijuana industry.

Mr. Seiveright, who recently returned from Great Britain where he joined some 80 panellists from countries across the globe at a Cannabis Europa Conference, said the stakes are too high for Jamaica not to be prepared to be a huge part of an estimated US$100-billion global medical marijuana market.

He said it is also important that the traditional local growers are given the opportunity to transition into the medicinal cannabis sector, where they are able to position themselves to capitalise on “what will be an inevitable boom”.

Ask most people about Jamaica, and they likely think of sun, sand and songs.

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.