DR Henry Lowe, one of Jamaica’s early pioneers in medical cannabis research, says the country has squandered its early advantage in the legal ganja industry through weak policy execution, institutional confusion and a lack of political will.

Lowe, who was involved in the development and commercialisation of one of the world’s first glaucoma eye drops derived from cannabis, said his support for ganja reform has always been rooted in medicine — not recreation.

“It was myself, Dr Lockhart and Dr West who developed the first glaucoma eye drops and commercialised the product from ganja,” Lowe told the Jamaica Observer in an interview. “Being involved at that early stage, and seeing where the world was going, it made sense to support legalisation for medical use. Jamaica should have been — and still should be — at the forefront.”

He said countries such as Canada demonstrated the commercial potential of medical cannabis early, while foreign interests moved quickly to profit from Jamaican knowledge and genetic material.

“A lot of what was in Jamaica was taken and commercialised elsewhere,” Lowe said. “That should never have happened if we had moved decisively.”

Lowe was careful to draw a sharp line between medical and recreational cannabis, stressing that his advocacy does not extend to unfettered recreational use.

“I am not one of those who supports recreational use,” he said. “At the same time, I do not support people being arrested and thrown in jail for ganja.”

He warned that cannabis, like any drug, carries risks if used without proper dosage or purpose.

“Ganja is a drug,” Lowe said. “If people are using it without knowing how much they are taking, why they are taking it, and for how long, it will cause problems. That is precisely why the medical framework is so important — it is about safety, control and proper use.”

Asked how Jamaica’s legal ganja industry has performed since decriminalisation, Lowe was blunt.

“Badly,” he said. “That’s the simplest word for it.”

He accused successive governments — both the PNP and JLP — of offering rhetorical support while failing to provide the institutional backing needed to make the industry succeed.

“There was a lot of lip service,” he said. “But when it came to the support required to make it work, there was timidity.”

Lowe said he understood some of that caution, given Jamaica’s history with illegal cannabis and the influence of the United States, but argued that medical ganja should have been treated differently.

“In so far as medicinal use is concerned, a lot more could have been done — faster and better,” he said. “I don’t feel there was the will then, and even now I’m not sure the will exists to get where we need to go.”

Lowe also criticised the way the industry has been regulated, arguing that its institutional design is fundamentally flawed.

“The system has been structured badly,” he said. “You cannot have the Cannabis Licensing Authority acting as both regulator and promoter. A regulator must stand back.”

He pointed to poor coordination among key agencies, including the Ministry of Health, and said confusion at the policy level has slowed progress.

“Apart from Jampro, which has been trying to move things commercially, it often feels like the question being asked is not ‘what can we do to make this succeed?’ but ‘what can we not do?’” Lowe told Business Observer.

Unless corrective action is taken, he warned, the consequences could be severe.

“I personally see the whole cannabis industry — including medical cannabis — dying if decisive changes are not made soon,” he said. “Every time I look at the media, I only see the negative side of the industry being highlighted.”