Jamaica’s quickly expanding medicinal marijuana industry has been the source of much discourse recently.

In an opinion piece by Dr Ellen Campbell-Grizzle, carried by the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday, November 27, 2019 entitled ‘Medicinal Cannabis: A new horizon for small Jamaican cultivators’, she details how medicinal cannabis ought to be considered a new horizon for Jamaican cultivators, and that more should be done to protect said industry from toxic overseas infiltration by means of investors with intent to exploit.

Firstly, legal reform and the development of a local medicinal cannabis industry — with supporting legislation, regulatory authority and best practices — have been a long time coming. While much has been done to fast-track the development of Jamaica’s medicinal cannabis trade, I agree with Dr Campbell-Grizzle that the full potential of the country’s cannabis ambitions have not been achieved.

In order to advance past the current embryonic state, we must increase the number of completely Jamaican medicinal cannabis products registered for sale locally, way above the estimated 0.1 per cent by including value-added products; from bud to by-product, from farm to pharmacy.

New legislation and regulatory standards mean we now possess the means to impact the culture surrounding marijuana use and consumption. Globally, a wave of change has seen the perception of “weed” altered from villain to victor, with large corporations now backing studies on the use of cannabis to treat and cure many noncommunicable diseases.

On our island paradise, the tide of change slowly washes ashore. Since inception, Epican’s mandate has been to educate, elevate and medicate our consumers — a charge that lies at the core of our daily enterprise. Much like Dr Campbell-Grizzle we believe it is education that will drive Jamaica’s cannabis stock toward the science-led vision held by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA), and certainly local stakeholders.

Finally, while we all hope to position Brand Jamaica Cannabis for international success, a path it is destined to trod, special care must be given to maintaining the integrity of our local product.

Already, Jamaican marijuana enjoys critical acclaim and should be protected from those who seek to benefit from the brand and its fame, with limited interest in the local industry and its sustainable development. Widespread panic ensued in the US recently following several vaping-related illnesses and unfortunate subsequent deaths — the culprit, vitamin E acetate, used as a cut, additive or bulking agent in some cannabis vaping products. This is the result of an industry taken over for fast commercial gains without the necessary checks and balances.

Jamaica’s CLA holds local cannabis brands to a much higher standard, and so Epican consumers are assured 100 per cent THC, CBD products, 100 per cent of the time.

Our completely organic farming practices mean we give our very best. Completely ital. That’s the Jamaican way.

— Jermaine Bibbons is head of marketing at Epican