KINGSTON, Jamaica – Industry, Investment and Commerce Minister, Senator Aubyn Hill is rubbishing claims that he or any other Cabinet minister, or their families, are involved in the cannabis industry or benefited in any way from the granting of a licence to a Canadian firm to import the drug to Jamaica.

The minister was responding to social media claims that he was in cahoots with the company, Cannaviva Jamaica Limited, which applied for and was granted the necessary permits by the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) Board.

Hill, who was speaking at a press conference at Jamaica House on Monday, stressed that as miinister, he “has no relevant access or decision-making in the approval or giving of licences”.

READ: Ganja farmers outraged after licence granted to import Canadian herb

“It doesn’t come to the minister, the minister doesn’t get anything, no minister at all, nobody in Cabinet, because that’s how we have been going in Jamaica in the recent past. We want to make sure we separate the political people who everybody says have their own personal interest.”

The minister also denied social gossip that his son is involved in the cannabis industry.

“No, my son is not involved in any cannabis anything…. I double-checked in the Cabinet, no Cabinet minister has any son or daughter in any cannabis anything. So for this one you can leave us alone,” he said.

“The minister does not get involved in that at all, so I see some of them on social media saying ‘who take bribe and how much me get’…Foolishness!” he said.

The minister said the CLA, through its Application Review and Decision-making Sub-committee, has the authority to grant licences for cannabis which is a schedule 1 drug under the 1961 Single Convention Act. A schedule 1 drug has to be prescribed every time it is used by someone, otherwise, it is being used illegally.

READ: Hylton slams Gill’s ‘dubious’ claim on ganja imports

Hill also pointed out that it’s not easy for unscrupulous persons to bribe the seven people on the sub-committee.

“Maybe one or two, but seven? Probably hard. So that’s not how it is at all,” Hill said.

He said that the way the CLA works, it is ensured that there is a measure of protection “that people can’t just come in and bamboozle people.”

Hill explained that the CLA board decided to set up this sub-committee of “very qualified Jamaicans” who would have full authority over decision-making without any possible bias.

“The board says because we have a mixture of private sector people and government people, private sector people might be involved themselves in the cannabis industry. [So] to save a measure of conflict of interest they appointed certain people to the review [committee],” he said.

Hill noted as well that once the sub-committee makes a decision, the chairman of the CLA board would sign off on it, but he has no authority to overrule it.

The press conference was convened following the uproar of local ganja farmers who are irate about Cannaviva Jamaica Limited being granted a cannabis import licence.

Industry players are particularly upset that Canada, a country that does not allow Jamaican imports or exports from Jamaica into their market could be granted permission to export to Jamaica.