EMERGENCY measures implemented ahead of Hurricane Melissa prevented a shortage of ganja in the formal system, despite the storm’s impact on key cultivation areas, Chief Executive Officer of the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) Farrah Blake said.

Speaking at a Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange at the newspaper’s head office in St Andrew, Blake said the authority introduced emergency harvesting and field management protocols before the hurricane last October, to protect mature crops.

“We put together some emergency steps right before the hurricane, to ensure there was no damage to the ganja that was in the ground,” Blake said.

The measures were developed following lessons learnt from the impact of Hurricane Beryl and Tropical storm Rapheal in 2024, which caused significant disruption to the industry, she said.

BROWN… said communication with licensed cultivators ahead of Hurricane Melissa also contributed to the industry’s preparedness (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

Blake noted that although Hurricane Melissa affected major cultivation areas, including in Trelawny and Westmoreland, licensed cultivators were able to reduce their losses by harvesting crops before the storm.

“There was some sale of ganja before the hurricane. While growers may have lost some crops after the hurricane, they had already generated income from what was harvested beforehand,” she said.

She said the authority’s support to the industry remains focused on technical guidance rather than direct financial assistance.

“We do not have the resources to provide grants, and given the regulatory environment in which ganja operates, there is limited access to that type of support. What we provide is technical assistance to help cultivators mitigate the impact of these events before they occur,” Blake said.

She added that the authority would continue strengthening its disaster preparedness efforts as part of its strategy to build a more resilient and sustainable cannabis industry.

CLA Public Relations and Communications Manager Simoy Brown, meanwhile, said communication with licensed cultivators ahead of Hurricane Melissa also contributed to the industry’s preparedness.

“We were able to issue guidance to cultivators on measures they could take to protect their crops before the hurricane. Those advisories helped to reduce the extent of the damage caused by the storm,” Brown said.