KINGSTON, Jamaica— Opposition Spokesman on Investment, Trade and Global Logistics, Anthony Hylton, has chastised the Government for what he describes as its failure to further develop the country’s cannabis industry.

This lack of investment, according to Hylton, has derailed the dreams of many stakeholder groups, including Rastafarians and small farmer communities.

He made the comments on Tuesday during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.

According to Hylton, “One episode will suffice as evidence of the confusion, fumbling and mixed messages communicated by the administration regarding its support, or lack thereof, in advancing the development of the industry; it is the ill-advised and short-sighted attempt at importing surplus cannabis from Canada into Jamaica, which was met with national and international outcry.”

“The People’s National Party (PNP) in government will be leveraging recent developments in the US, where the Biden administration has moved to reclassify marijuana from a Scheduled 1 drug to Schedule 111 drug, a classification shared by prescription drugs such as Tylenol and codeine.”

“This move by the US government is expected to set in motion similar efforts at the international level to reclassify marijuana, and to finally recognise its tremendous medicinal value,” said Hylton.

He added: “This is a position long advocated for by the PNP in international fora, especially by Opposition Leader Mark Golding in his pioneering role as the architect in building the framework for decriminalising ganja and creating the opportunity for a medical marijuana and nutraceutical industry to be developed here in Jamaica.”

He said a future PNP government will bring to bear the human resources, research support and appropriate incentives to revive and energise the now dormant industry. He said the opposition believes this can play a pivotal role in integrating Jamaica’s economy into the global supply and value chains for the medical cannabis and nutraceutical industries.

The Opposition spokesman said that for this to be realised, change must come to the Cannabis Licensing Authority.

“And change will only come with a new PNP administration,” he added.