A local group representing small scale ganja growers across the island is throwing its support behind concerns raised by parliamentarians who have decried what they consider the government’s failure to ensure fair treatment of the most vulnerable stakeholders in the developing industry.

The Ganja Growers and Producers Association Jamaica (GGPAJ), led by Richard Crawford, said it has noted the statements made by members of parliament (MPs) in Gordon House during recent meetings of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) regarding the ganja industry and, in welcoming the concerns raised, argued that the taking of such positions is long overdue but only touches the surface of the issues facing the small farmers.

“The MPs have accused the state and the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) of ignoring small farmers and having no real interest in ensuring that they were being allowed to participate in the legal ganja pie as counterproductive and unworkable regulations have prevented their inclusion to date,” the GGPAJ said in a statement.

Members of the PAAC were on Wednesday grilling representatives of the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce as they presented a report on the ganja sector.

During the meeting, Heroy Clarke, committee member and MP for St James Central, had referred to the failure of the Accompong (St. Elizabeth) and Orange Hill (Westmoreland) pilot projects as examples that should have encouraged small farmers to farm under special, suitable conditions tailored for them as the original programmes were not helping these farmers.

Another committee member, Fitz Jackson, MP for St Catherine Southern, while supporting Clarke’s position, said the CLA’s activities have created great mistrust and disappointment among farmers across the island.

This has apparently resulted in a 66 per cent decline in applications and licences granted, as well as declines in revenue from applications and other activity regarding the production of ganja.

In her comments during the meeting, Lisa Hanna, MP for St Ann South East, expressed similar concerns about the industry.

During a previous meeting, Juliet Holness, MP for East Rural St Andrew, raised the alarm that some investors were losing on their investments and were not able to export ganja products as they believed they would have been able to if a long awaited export policy had been implemented.

Holness suggested that “the strain of Jamaica ganja might have been taken and used to establish successful cannabis businesses in other jurisdictions”.

“We agree with the issues raised in Parliament, which predate the COVID-19 pandemic and which should not be used as a deflection of the exclusion of small and traditional farmers,” the GGPAJ said.

“These positions and assessments of the industry were also raised by the GGPAJ and now it is time for our organisation, which is a member of the newly established Cannabis Industry Development Task Force, to reach out to the MPs and carve a new formula for the development of ganja in Jamaica – one which will incorporate the legislators, farmers, herbalists, Rastafari and all other citizens in need of medicinal, therapeutic and health & wellness and other treatments.”