Short reportFarming medical ganja in Jamaica
Introduction
In early 2015 the Jamaican parliament passed the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act (DDAA) (Ministry of Justice, 2015) with several significant changes to the existing legislation and is intended to “provide for the modification of penalties or possession of ganja in specified small quantities and the smoking of ganja in specified circumstances, and for a scheme of licences, permits and other authorisations for medical, therapeutic or scientific purposes”.
During the consultation period prior to the introduction of the DDAA the government repeatedly emphasised support for the small farmer and they will be able to apply for a licence to grow up to 1 acre of ganja. The DDAA also makes provisions for the granting of licences and permits to enable the establishment of a regulated industry for the processing of ganja for medical, therapeutic and scientific uses. The DDAA therefore offers an opportunity to enfranchise small subsistence farmers and allows the government to derive significant new income streams based on the licence fees and taxation payable by growers, processors and patients. Additionally the Jamaican government has identified medical tourism including therapeutic treatments as a new market segment with as yet little competition.
This study set out to investigate the opinions of ganja farmers currently growing illegally about their background and experience, production and postharvest processes, markets and market price, and their views of, response to and level of engagement with the new legal medical ganja scheme prior to its introduction.
Section snippets
Methods
Initial contact with the ganja farmers was made by attending government and national grow association conferences and meetings in Kingston, attending local grow association meetings and through social and personal contacts. Personal contacts included a 35-year relationship with a St. Elizabeth born and bred now UK resident involved in ganja cultivation and distribution.
The convenience sample of 17 participants were from the parishes of St. Elizabeth, Manchester, Trelawny and Westmoreland, with
Characteristics of farms and farmers
This study found that all of the farmers grew outdoors, all were afro-Caribbean, male, subsistence farmers, secondary school educated, grew to make money, accepted the risk of detection as an occupational hazard and had grown throughout their lives. Unlike growers in the US the Jamaican farmers are very much full-time professionals often working in their fields 7 days a week with most in addition to ganja growing small crops of ‘grabba’ (tobacco), keeping or looking after goats or cows but
Discussion
The study examined the opinions of ganja farmers currently growing illegally about production and postharvest practices and their views of, response to and level of engagement with the new scheme.
In Jamaica the focus has been on licencing and the pre-harvest processes and little is known yet of the post-harvest supply chain including testing, certification, packaging and distribution. Although the Jamaican government has held numerous consultation meetings across the island with senior
Conclusion
In the short time-span before the new scheme is introduced the farmers need information and advice to increase their engagement and help them prepare for the new market requirements for the production of single strain seedless ganja and a new post-harvest supply chain including testing, certification, packaging, logistics and distribution.
An integrated approach by the Jamaican government could create an enabling environment to support the rapid, structured and systematic introduction of the new
Conflict of interest statement
None.
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Cited by (6)
Issues in the establishment of a therapeutic cannabis market under Jamaica's Dangerous Drugs Amendment Act 2015
2020, International Journal of Drug PolicyCitation Excerpt :KI-11, academic) Approximately 700 license applications have been lodged with the CLA since June 2016, of which 67 have been approved and issued and approximately 300 have received conditional approval (i.e., passed desk verification but will not be operational until a successful pre-license inspection) (JIS, 2020; Marijuana Business Daily, 2020b and personal communication with the CLA). There is evidence of vertical integration on the market, with a number of licensed cannabis businesses marketing themselves as fully vertically integrated (e.g. Epican, 2020; Itopia, 2019; Jacana, 2020; JMCC, 2020).
The implementation of medical ganja in Jamaica
2017, International Journal of Drug PolicyCitation Excerpt :Although the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) has 180,733 registered farmers growing traditional crops (RADA, 2016), only 25 applications have been made for cultivation licences (CLA, 2016c). Though the number of applicants may be less than envisaged, Davenport and Pardo (2015) observe that the size of the market will be significantly smaller than many seem to expect with Jones (2016) commenting that most small farmers had no interest in the new system and were likely to continue to grow and sell illegally. In the consultation stage for the DDAA much was made by government ministers that the new act would enfranchise the small farmers who had previously been subject to significant punitive action by law enforcement agencies, with Davenport and Pardo (2016) remarking that Jamaica’s introduction of tiered licenses for cultivators and processors highlights the government’s efforts to protect small farmers and businesses.
The Dangerous Drugs Act Amendment in Jamaica: Reviewing goals, implementation, and challenges
2016, International Journal of Drug PolicyCitation Excerpt :Jamaica is rumoured to have thousands or tens of thousands of dedicated small-scale cannabis farmers (corroborated by Jones in personal communication). Anecdotes suggest that many farmers have small plots, often on informally-owned land without official title or on public lands, on which a modest amount of cannabis is grown to supplement income (Jones, 2016). Among farmers that earn substantial income from cannabis, plots are thought to typically range from one half to one acre.
Ganja and the Laws of Men: Cannabis Decriminalization and Social (In)Justice in Jamaica
2023, Contemporary Drug ProblemsUncovering the Potential and Handicaps of Non-drug Hemp Cultivation in South and Southeast Asia
2023, Reviews in Agricultural ScienceTowards more effective global drug policies
2018, Towards More Effective Global Drug Policies