Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) Chief Executive Officer Lincoln Allen has confirmed that when his tenure expires at the end of this month he will not be returning to the agency.

“I will return to central ministry at the end of that time because I was on secondment,” Allen told the Jamaica Observer on Monday.

Asked to say where next he will be assigned, Allen — who has been in the public service for approximately 25 years, mostly at the senior management level — said he would await a directive from the State.

However, a highly placed government source told the Observer that Allen will most likely be going to the postal service as postmaster general.

Allen went to the CLA in March 2018 and, according to information posted on the agency’s website, he has, through transformational leadership, expanded its organisational structure from 17 members of staff to 74, thereby enhancing the agency’s technical capacity.

The team, the CLA said, comprises officers with specialised skill sets and training in agronomy, botany, other sciences, security, data analysis, etc to better support the continued development of the local medical cannabis industry.

“He has initiated and facilitated ongoing efforts for the authority to obtain ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System Certification in order to improve on the quality of efficiency and service being provided to the industry. Through these efforts, the authority has achieved 55 per cent completion of the ISO 9001:2015 Implementation Plan as at July 31, 2020,” the CLA states.

It notes that Allen supports the transition of the CLA into a model agency and an industry leader. “He is of the view that through partnership, the establishment of standards, facilitation of trade, a robust accountability framework and a comprehensive regulatory framework, the Jamaican industry will have a competitive advantage in the global space,” the CLA states.

Allen holds a BSc in biochemistry, an MSc in national security and strategic studies from The University of the West Indies, and an MBA from Nova Southeastern University.

Throughout his career, he has contributed to policies that support Jamaica’s resilience to the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons as well as the preparation of key policy initiatives for improving security arrangements at Jamaica’s ports of entry and at other critical installations.

“He also served as Jamaica’s national point of contact for the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), assisting in the development of the model ATT legislation for Caricom member states. Additionally, he has participated in the review of the Firearms Act that was undertaken to strengthen said legislation,” the CLA website states.