Jamaica Government Grants Licence To Canadian Company To Grow Ganja For Research

KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – the Jamaica government has granted a licence to the Canadian nutraceutical and pharmaceutical company, Timeless Herbal Care Limited (THC), allowing it to cultivate marijuana, locally, for research and development, in keeping with provisions outlined in the amended Dangerous Drugs Act.

THC is the first private entity to be granted such a licence after the government granted similar awards to the University of the West Indies (UWI), and University of Technology (UTech)

A government statement said that, THC is now able to develop an international global brand for Jamaican medical marijuana, by incorporating state-of-the-art scientific applications and methodologies to conduct research on organic marijuana deemed of the highest quality.

It said, “this undertaking is expected to position the country to tap into the global industry, which generates an estimated US$1 billion in earnings.”

Science, Technology, Energy, and Mining Minister, Phillip Paulwell

Science, Technology, Energy, and Mining Minister, Phillip Paulwell, who presented the licence to THC President and Chief Executive Officer, Courtney Betty, said, the government remains committed to positioning Jamaica as a global leader in medical marijuana research and development.

He encouraged THC to “move very quickly” in establishing facilities capable of conducting the level of research that will record significant outcomes.

Paulwell said, while the ministry awaits the outcome of work being undertaken by the Cannabis Licensing Authority, “we anticipate, very soon, that the regulations will be in a position to be promulgated and that…you (THC) will move from research to commercial operations.”

Paulwell said, while frequent updates are expected from the licensees, “we in the Ministry, through the National Commission on Science and Technology (NCST), and the Scientific Research Council (SRC), we (will be) monitoring…the institutions.”

Betty said, his company is pleased to have been awarded the licence, pointing out that “we take our research and development very seriously”.