Jamaica has something no other country in the world does – a synonymous relation with cannabis that is admired and respected. Thanks to reggae and Rasta over the past 60 years, every non-Jamaican wants to experience smoking Jamaican cannabis. This creates both an enviable aura and an amazing prospect of what is possible for Jamaica’s cannabis brand.

Here are four reasons it’s worth investing in the local industry:

ROI

Jamaica has one of the lowest cannabis production costs in the world thanks to its year-round tropical climate. Many leading cannabis producers rely on indoor grow with help of high-wattage bulbs, which means increased power consumption.

Jamaica’s Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) has put out its feelers, globally, in a bid to secure an organization that can provide software capable of tracking all cannabis processes, from seed to sale.

The CLA issued an invitation to bid for hopeful providers to showcase their software, which must be able to track individual cannabis plants as they move through the entire supply chain. This includes cultivation, retail, transportation, processing and research and development.

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.