Cannabis pilot project underway in Accompong

From left, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF); Hon Floyd Green, Minister of State and Monique Gibbs, Chief Technical Director, Industry and Commerce Portfolio, both of MICAF, discuss cultivation of cannabis with a farmer on tour of the cannabis pilot project in Accompong, St Elizabeth on Friday, August 16.

Following the recent signing of a tripartite agreement under the Alternative Development (AD) Project for the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal use, cultivation of the herb is now underway in Accompong, St Elizabeth. The AD project is being implemented as a strategy to transition traditional cannabis farmers from an illicit framework into the regulated environment, which is currently the purview of the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA), an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries.

Under the tripartite agreement, the Accompong Town Maroons, Timeless Herbal Care and the CLA are working to ascertain the best practices within the regulated environment for cultivation and processing of cannabis for medicinal use. The project aims to promote sustainable development and poverty eradication and also to ensure that the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act of 2015 is enforced through the protection of the human rights for all citizens including traditional ganja farmers.

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