CLA Issues Nearly 200 Licences Since Establishment

The Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) has issued nearly 200 licences since its establishment.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Farrah Blake, who made the disclosure, indicated that “almost 100 of those licences have been done within the last four years”.

She was speaking during the official launch of the CLA’s Medical Cannabis Special Permit Programmes at the AC Hotel by Marriott Kingston on Thursday (April 16).

Ms. Blake also highlighted the CLA’s partnership with the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) to train its compliance team in good agricultural and manufacturing practices, equipping them with enhanced skills to guide cultivators towards improved yields and sustainable farming methods.

“We achieved and have retained our ISO 9000 2015 certification since 2023. We have also implemented an emergency and disaster protocol to safeguard crops and inventory during the hurricane season, which proved highly beneficial after Hurricane Melissa. In the wake of the most catastrophic hurricane in our history, Jamaica did not have a shortage of cannabis,” the CEO said.

The CLA has also expanded its virtual operations, with approximately 40 per cent of ganja sales now conducted remotely.

“We have introduced a deferral policy which allows an instalment-based fee payment for qualified applicants. We have also relocated our Authority to a larger facility that allows for a more customer-centric relationship with our applicants and clients,” Ms. Blake stated.

Established in 2015 under the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act, the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) is mandated to regulate Jamaica’s legal cannabis and hemp industry, with a focus on medical, therapeutic, and scientific applications.

The Authority is tasked with developing regulations to ensure the orderly growth of Jamaica’s legal cannabis industry, safeguarding compliance with international obligations, and issuing licences, permits, and authorisations for the handling of cannabis and hemp.