While Jamaica’s cannabis industry awaits long-delayed rules for exports, local regulators and policymakers focused this week on one critical step in that process: quality control. In observance of World Accreditation Day, which will be held on June 9, the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC) held a virtual forum on Wednesday that centered on “Jamaica’s Cannabis Industry and the Supporting Role of Accreditation.” A major theme was the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 9, which is “industry, innovation, and infrastructure.” More broadly, officials and regulators emphasized that Wednesday’s event should be considered a “candid conversation about cannabis.” In 2015, Jamaica became the first Caribbean nation to legalize cannabis for medical, therapeutic, and scientific purposes. Since then, local leaders have been eager to see Jamaicans claim their piece of the global cannabis economy. But, as Cannabis Wire has reported, the country’s cannabis industry, which has attracted international interest, has been in a holding pattern of sorts, due recently in part to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alyson Martin, Cannabis Wire, 06/02/2021 20:00:00