Local cannabis and wellness company JACANA successfully executed its first medical cannabis export to the Cayman Islands on January 7, 2026, marking a major milestone as the company pursues an international expansion strategy

The shipment also establishes a repeatable, compliant export pathway for medical cannabis exports into regulated markets as JACANA introduces its organically cultivated, sun-grown Jamaican cannabis to patients in the Cayman Islands.

“This export validates what we’ve been building at JACANA: a compliant, scalable international distribution platform capable of delivering plant medicines to medical and consumer markets worldwide,” said Alexandra Chong, CEO of JACANA.

“As a Caribbean company, there’s something meaningful about bringing Jamaican cannabis to patients across our region. It’s a connection rooted in our shared culture and history. We’ve already proven our multi-market capabilities in wellness, with distribution spanning the Caribbean, the United States, and Europe. This Cayman shipment does the same for medical cannabis. It’s a model we intend to deploy across additional regulated markets,” she continued.

JACANA completed the export under a fully regulated bilateral framework, authorised by import permits from the Cayman Islands Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and an export permit from Jamaica’s Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA). In the Cayman Islands, the products imported by Caribbean Medical Distributors Ltd, will be available to patients with prescriptions through pharmacies and hospitals across the territory.

This shipment also offers Caymanian patients a natural alternative to indoor-grown imports that dominate many medical markets today.

According to David Pellow, director at Caribbean Medical Distributors Ltd, “Reliable, compliant supply is critical to patient access.”

He added: “We are pleased to partner with JACANA to make sun-grown Jamaican medical cannabis available to patients across the Cayman Islands.”

For JACANA, the export to the Cayman Islands achieves more than market entry. It highlights the company’s end-to-end capabilities in the regulated international cannabis trade, such as regulatory execution. The company also delivers export-grade quality products, cultivated and reaped under GACP and GMP quality systems.

This milestone now positions JACANA to pursue additional medical cannabis export opportunities across the Caribbean and international markets.

Commenting on the achievement, Senator Aubyn Hill, Jamaica’s minister of industry, investment and commerce, said, “This shipment to the Cayman Islands represents a significant step for Jamaica in building a compliant and competitive international export sector. Companies like JACANA are showing that Jamaican businesses can navigate complex regulatory frameworks and bring high-quality Jamaican products to international markets. This export strengthens our reputation as a country capable of producing goods that meet global standards, and reinforces Jamaica’s potential to expand its presence in emerging international industries.”