Dear Editor,

I write this letter in response to an article published in the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday, December 4, titled ‘Jamaica sends legal shipment of Cannabis to Canada’.

The hypocrisy of it all — how dare us celebrate cannabis as a developing industry when cannabis producers and consumers are still treated like outlaws with no real way to bank the money earned?

My question is: Where should our major cannabis players put their earnings?

Recently, we celebrated the exportation of 10 kilograms (or 22 lb) of legal cannabis to Canada by a licensed Jamaican cannabis company; that’s great, but it seems we are missing a crucial step on the road to real progress, and in the the absence of that key step I’m afraid the local medicinal marijuana trade will stagnate.

The fact that local marijuana players are unable to bank their earnings means then that the potential for commerce and economic development is severely hampered.

I am imploring the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to take the necessary steps to ensure that our many existing and emerging cannabis players are able to do business transactions with banking institutions with a level of ease.

Our economic progress as a country depends on it.

It is no secret that the local trade is laden with legislation, expensive fees, and licences. My plea is that the CLA will champion the cause of the medicinal marijuana producers just as feverishly as it regulates them. Fair is fair; they earn funds legally, they should be able to bank and invest these funds.

Kaleb Khaleel

kalebkhaleel@yahoo.com