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| Maroon farmers listen to Prime MinisterAndrew Holness |
Jamaican Prime Minister
Announces Medical Marijuana Cultivation programme for Indigenous Maroons
By
Stephen Weir
The
government of Jamaica is paving the way for Indigenous Maroons to legally
cultivate Medical Marijuana within the country’s Maroon communities. Late last
week, Prime Minister Andrew Holness told a gathering of Maroon leaders and
farmers that in the first quarter of 2019 they would have the legal right to
grow ganja.
“We
have made a decision to allow for what is called the Alternative Development Programme for growing ganja because it is a
real fear that as the medical industry emerges to become more corporatized that
Maroons, the original ganjamen will be left out of the gains and the benefits of
growing Medical Marijuana. You were the first to sing the praises of Medical
Marijuana and (your communities) so well know the curative benefits of Medical
Ganja.”
The
Government of Jamaica has made a decision that Agriculture will play a leading
role in the development of the country and the Maroons. One of the target areas is creating value
products from the many medicinal herbal plants that grow in Jamaica.
According
to Jamaica’s Minister of Agriculture Audley Shaw, “ Ganja which has been seen
to be part of the problems in Jamaica is now part of the solution for the
economic and social development of the country. The Accompong Maroons bring a
long history of using local Jamaican ganja as a medicine and together we are
combing their local strains with international scientific research to develop
valued added medical marijuana products for the rest of the world.”
“This programme is of significant importance to ensure
that small farmers benefit legally from Ganja,” continued the Prime Minister. “The
Maroon communities has a certain
discipline, a certain order, and a certain social system that will ensure that the
crop is not used in illicit ways. I know that you've actually started a part of
the programme but you are now awaiting the government's part of the project to
come in. Within the first quarter of this year the Alternative Development
Programme for the small ganja farmers (will be up and running). I
give my commitment that it will start.”
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| Prime Minister Andrew Holness |
Shortly after the Prime
Minister announced the Alternative Development Programme, one Jamaican Canadian
firm promised the Maroon communities support in maximizing their ganja
crops. Timeless
Herbal Care (THC) Jamaica Ltd is one of
the first companies to legally grow and harvest medical marijuana in Jamaica;
its Jamaican Canadian CEO Courtney Betty is promising to help the Maroons
maximize their harvest.
“ The Maroon ganja growers know their land and
their crops like no other,” said Mr Betty. “What we offering the Maroons is
access to our expertise in medical standards of processing, research & development, and access
to export markets.” Mr Betty’s company has assembled a team that includes the
best doctors, scientists, researchers and growers to transform Jamaica into the
medical marijuana hub for the world (the company has already made shipments to
health authorities in Canada).
ABOUT THE MAROONS
The Maroons descended from Africans
who escaped from slavery and established
free communities in the mountainous interior. To this day,
the Maroons are autonomous and separate from Jamaican culture. The four official Maroon towns still in
existence in Jamaica are Accompong Town, Moore Town, Charles Town and Scott's
Hall. They hold lands allotted to them by treaty from the British in 1740.
These communities still maintain their traditional celebrations and practices,
some of which have West African origins.
