Ganja growers grab opportunity to get legal

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Traditional ganja growers who have run afoul of the law over various breaches associated with cultivation of the weed have welcomed the Cannabis Licensing Authority’s push to regularise their operations. They say the work of the CLA, which has acknowledged the historic role of traditional ganja farmers, could transform the ganja-growing landscape in Jamaica. The traditional ganja farmers, who attended the CLA’s Cannabis Special Permit Programme Road Tour and Community Fair at Wes Pow Park in Tucker, St James, last Thursday included Jafari Dey, who was exploring how to bring his operation into compliance. “We welcome it because the Government is involved and if you get the permit you won’t get certain people pestering you, and you can do what you do to the best of your abilities, no stress, you just have to focus on growing and getting your farm up to par,” Dey told the Jamaica Observer. He said that during his interactions with the CLA team on Wednesday, he received guidance on the application process and needed only a few additional documents to finalise his application. “The CLA will help you to find buyers as well, so I don’t know anybody on that level who’s going to get you there and find you a buyer,” he said. Andre Montague, of Hopeton district in St James, was also optimistic that the initiative would improve conditions for traditional growers. “We operated in fear that the police are there, and you operate in fear. [With this] you have more confidence, and I think people will have better production now because we don’t have to hide under the counter,” said Montague. He told the Observer that the programme was something farmers needed and encouraged his colleagues to participate. “It was a very easy and simple experience, and I think that everybody that is growing marijuana should come and sign up,” added Montague. Another farmer, Rakai Bernard, who also engaged with the CLA on Thursday, said he had been looking forward to the opportunity to regularise his operations. “I know the regulations and it’s not legal to operate without licence, and that is the main reason why I am here,” said Bernard. “It would mean I could do my operations in peace, I have wanted to do this for a while,” he added. Launched in July, the CLA’s special permit road tour follows changes to the regulations earlier this year. “Within that change in regulations it gave us two new programmes that target traditional ganja growers,” Chief Executive Officer Farah Blake told the Observer on the sidelines of Thursday’s event. “These two new programmes, one is a community-based programme and the other one is geared towards an individual. It allows them to be able to do that over two years,” added Blake. During Thursday’s road tour, growers received guidance on eligibility requirements, technical assistance, and support with property and business registration. “These traditional ganja growers who used to, or still do grow ganja without a licence, the laws that change in 2015 did not specifically address how to have them matriculate into a legal system,” Blake stated. “You have a permit from the CLA, and within two years relaxed regulations, some increased monitoring and guidance. We guide these permit holders into the legal system over two years,” Blake added. People who attended the CLA’s St James road show were able to apply for either a Cultivator’s Transitional Special Permit or a Special Community Permit. “It’s a permit that does not attract a cost like a licence, but it attracts just an application fee. There is an application fee of US$150, but the regular licence fee of about US$2,500 for a cultivator is not attached to this permit. “So it’s basically a free programme that allows you to be able [to], over two years, move from being from not legitimate into a legitimate space,” said Blake.