FOUNDER and Executive Chairman of Medicanja, Dr Henry Lowe, is urging a spirit of cooperation between government ministries and agencies involved in the development of Jamaica’s ganja industry, following the passage of the Decriminalisation Bill in Parliament.

“Government ministries and agencies need to work assiduously and in a spirit of cooperation for the development of a fair, transparent, efficient and accountable medical ganja industry, underpinned by high standards in research, growth, manufacturing and other critical arenas,” Lowe told the Jamaica Observer in an interview on Friday.

He said that this was necessary in order to enable Jamaican ganja products to attain international acceptance and recognition, and help create avenues for the earning of significant foreign exchange and employment.

Dr Lowe also reaffirmed the importance of ensuring that Jamaicans are clear on the rules of engagement concerning decriminalisation and the coming medical ganja industry. He said that this was critical to curbing misinformation and confusion that could undermine the aims and objectives of the reform process.

He also urged persons to not become party to ganja related “get rich quick schemes and initiatives by unscrupulous individuals” that have, for example, resulted in serious financial loss and embarrassment for several investors in the United States and Canada.

“Some of these characters are disguised as one of our own. We must be wary of bad weeds in the ganja bush. Individuals should also try to understand that scientific and technical inputs must be made in whatever we do for the export industry,” he stated.

Lowe noted that medical ganja was now a multi-billion US-dollar industry, offering huge opportunities for Jamaica’s economic revival, if properly led and implemented.

“It has the potential to transform Jamaica into a world-class global medical ganja hub which can support many spin-off industries, particularly health tourism,” he pointed out.

He said that the industry can significantly add to the production of new nutraceuticals and the development of drugs, like those already on the market, including Sativex and Marinol.

He also stated that hemp, which will be a new agro-based industry, offers great promise for the overall development of the Jamaican cannabis industry for farmers and cottage industries which will need to be carefully managed for its contributions to national development.

Much anticipated amendments to the Dangerous Drugs Act effecting the decriminalising of the drug, were included in the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Bill passed in the House of Representatives last Tuesday. Minister of National Security Peter Bunting piloted the Bill in the House.

The Bill was passed with five amendments in the Senate on February 6, where it was piloted by Minister of Justice, Senator Mark Golding.

The Government is expecting significant economic gains from the decriminalisation of the drug, particularly in the area of medicinal use described as a US$2.5-billion market in the United States.