Jamaica is expanding efforts to bring longtime marijuana growers into the legal industry through new cultivation pathways that eliminate government fees and allow qualifying community groups to collectively grow up to 10 acres.
The country’s Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) is promoting two recently implemented programs — the Cultivator’s Transitional Special Permit and Special Community Permit — designed to reduce the financial and regulatory barriers facing traditional marijuana farmers.
According to a September 27 announcement from the Jamaica Information Service, individual farmers entering through the transitional program receive two years to develop their operations and meet the standards required for a full cannabis cultivation license.
The CLA charges no application or authorization fees under the program and will provide assistance to farmers during the two-year transition.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old, live in Jamaica, provide government identification and a police record and have access to at least half an acre of land. Farmers who do not own their cultivation property can qualify using a formal lease or written authorization from the landowner.
A separate Special Community Permit allows traditional cultivation communities to organize through registered entities and collectively cultivate up to 10 acres of marijuana.
The CLA also charges no fee for participation through the community program, allowing farmers to pool land, resources and production rather than entering the regulated market individually.
The government says the programs are intended particularly for longtime growers who have historically participated in marijuana cultivation but lack the capital necessary to meet the requirements of Jamaica’s conventional licensing system.
The new pathways come as Jamaica continues working to increase domestic cultivation within its regulated medical marijuana industry. CLA Senior Director of Operations Shandel Hannam said during a September 25 outreach event that roughly 70% of the industry currently consists of retailers, creating demand for additional licensed cultivators.
The Cannabis Licensing Authority formally launched its Medical Cannabis Special Permit Programmes earlier this year following amendments to Jamaica’s cannabis licensing regulations. The agency is now conducting an islandwide outreach tour encouraging traditional growers to enter the regulated market.
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