‘It’s like Christmas’

WESTERN BUREAU:

For generations, ganja has been more than a crop in communities such as Brighton and Orange Hill in Westmoreland. It has been a source of income, a way to pay bills and, for some residents, a means of keeping children in school.

On Wednesday, many farmers who have long operated outside Jamaica’s regulated cannabis industry got a glimpse of a different future, as the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) brought its Cannabis Special Permit Road Tour to Westmoreland.

The turnout at Wabba’s Weed Adventure reflected a strong appetite among traditional farmers to understand how they can enter the legal cannabis industry.

“Today has been quite impressive. I mean, this is our fourth stop on our special permit road tour, and we are overwhelmed with the number of persons that have come out today,” said CLA Chief Executive Officer Farrah Blake, noting that the response had surpassed expectations.

Blake said farmers and other interested persons were eager to learn about the application process, licensing, and the opportunities available under the programme.

“I’ve been stopped along the way by different persons asking different questions about how many persons can be a part of the community’s special permit,” she said. “They’re asking how much it costs for a licence. I’ve heard somebody asking earlier about the customer transport licence, which is one of the most expensive licenses that we have.”

A transport licence starts at US$10,000 for the first vehicle, with an additional US$1,000 for each additional vehicle.

Blake encouraged the farmers who remain sceptical about joining the regulated industry to seek information directly from the CLA.

“It is the Government doing right by traditional farmers ... and preparing the programmes that are fit for purpose,” she said.

However, Stephen Reviere, a member of the Hanover Herb Farmers’ Cooperative, said his experience navigating Jamaica’s cannabis regulations has left him questioning whether the system is truly designed with the traditional farmer in mind.

STEEP ROAD

He said that his cooperative travelled across the island seeking information about participating in the legal cannabis industry and waited three years for its licence to be processed. He said the farmers were still required to pay taxes despite being unable to legally cultivate or sell cannabis.

“Until they processed the licence and during that time, we had to pay minimum business tax after the first year of $60,000 per year,” he said. “So, the road at that time was very steep. The Jamaican Government wants to regularise people, but the road is steeper.”

And while he acknowledged that the individual application fee has been reduced, Reviere said farmers still face significant requirements, including security systems, fencing and documentation.

According to Reviere, although the processing fee for individual applications was cut down from US$500 to US$150 during this permit tour to encourage more applications, the CLA charges US$2,500 per year for specific business licenses, including cultivator’s and retail licence.

“You must have a camera system, you must have fencing around your premises, and you must document everything else, [including] land title,” he said.

Reviere further argued that Jamaica’s approach to cannabis regulation should have been developed more closely with the people who have cultivated the plant for generations.

“We should have had stakeholders sit down and dialogue with Jamaica’s [traditional] cannabis [farmers] and see how we can build a proper cannabis industry together,” he said.

MAJOR OPPORTUNITY

Meanwhile, Brighton resident Wellington Clayton, popularly known as Wabba, described the special permit initiative as a major opportunity for a community that has depended heavily on ganja to reap legal benefits.

“It’s like Christmas right now to me,” he said, noting that ganja has historically helped residents meet basic needs, particularly young people who leave school and struggle to find employment.

Clayton said regulation represents the possibility of farming without the constant fear of eradication.

“To know that we are up there now where the farmers can be on the front line, I would advise each and every one to jump on the word and get regulated and start the right way,” he said.

Ian Hayles, the member of parliament for Westmoreland Western, who has been advocating for traditional farmers in the constituency to get a legal stake in the regulated system, said the turnout demonstrated the level of interest, noting that more than 500 applications had been submitted.

According to him, a properly developed industry could create opportunities for local entrepreneurs to produce cannabis-related by-products and prevent Jamaican farmers from being pushed aside as outside investors enter the sector.

“We can have by-products of the industry. And we don’t wait for other investors overseas to come and take up this space, and our local people get left behind again,” he said.

mickalia.kington@gleanerjm.com