Increased global demand for Jamaican cannabis - CLA

The Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) is reporting an increased demand for Jamaican ganja on the global market.

The CLA says in recent months, it has been issuing export permits to territories as far away as Australia and Germany, which are seeking local cannabis for research and medical purposes.

It says a total of 42 export authorisations have been issued to 10 entities trading with various regions of the globe.

Since the start of the year, the authority says it has issued 19 export permits and has seen an increase in export permit requests by licensees.

In the absence of export regulations, which are at the final stages of promulgation, the authority says it created an Interim Export/Import Policy that has allowed licensees, since 2018, to export cannabis and its extracts.

“What this tells us is that we have been producing cannabis to the standards required of these other jurisdictions and therefore there is potential for commercial quantities to be exported in the future once markets are opened,” said acting CLA head, Faith Graham, in a statement this afternoon.

Graham said the quantity for each export varies and the purpose ranges from research, medicinal and scientific.

She clarified that the CLA does not determine the quantity or destination of the export as it is the responsibility of each licensee to find their market and ensure they meet the required standards of the importing country.

She encouraged licensees to have their products tested for the cannabinoid and terpene profiles as well as the potency.

“The CLA plays its part by processing the export requests and we are always working with our partners such as Customs, the JCF [Jamaica Constabulary Force], and the Plant Quarantine Division to see how we can become more efficient with this process,” she added.

To date, the CLA says it has authorised the export of approximately 1,000 kilogrammes of cannabis flower, three kilogrammes of seeds, and over 40 litres of cannabis oil.

On the matter of trading within the industry, Graham clarified that the trading figures within the closed-loop system were US$894,749 for the 2019/2020 financial year and US$627,089.79 in 2020/2021.

She cautioned, however, that these figures do not include sales made by licensees to the public.

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.