KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) is reporting an increased demand for Jamaican ganja from the global marketplace. According to the CLA, in recent months, the Agency has been issuing export permits to territories as far away as Australia and Germany, which are seeking local cannabis for research and medical purposes.

In total, 42 export authorisations have been issued to 10 entities trading with various regions of the globe – Africa, North America, the Caribbean, Europe and Oceania, the CLA said.

It added that since the start of the year, the CLA has issued 19 export permits and has seen an increase in export permit requests by licensees. In the absence of export regulations, which is at the final stages of promulgation, the Authority said it created an Interim Export/Import Policy that has allowed licensees to export cannabis and its extracts since 2018.

“What this tells us is that we have been producing cannabis to the standards required of these other jurisdictions and therefore there is potential for commercial quantities to be exported in the future once markets are opened,” said the acting CEO of the CLA, Faith Graham.

Graham said the quantities for each export varies and the purpose ranges from research, medicinal and scientific. She clarified that the CLA does not determine the quantity or destination of the export as it is the responsibility of each licensee to find their market and ensure they meet the required standards of the importing country. She encouraged the licensees to send their products for testing to the BSJ, SRC, UWI and in short order, the Mines and Geology Division, to test the cannabinoid and terpene profiles and potency of the cannabis they are producing.

“The CLA plays its part by processing the export requests and we are always working with our partners such as Customs, the JCF and the Plant Quarantine Division to see how we can become more efficient with this process,” Graham added.

To date, the CLA said it has authorised the export of approximately 1,000 kilograms of cannabis flower, three kilograms of seeds, and over 40 litres of cannabis oil.