CLA pushing the initiative making it easier for them to get legal

Traditional marijuana farmers are getting help from the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA), making it easier for them to enter the legal cannabis industry.

In fact, they are being encouraged to take advantage of dedicated pathways introduced by the authority, making it easier for them to enter the legal cannabis industry. Under the recently implemented Cultivator’s Transitional Special Permit and the Special Community Permit, these legacy growers can access the market with reduced financial and technical barriers. 

The measures are designed to strengthen access and inclusion for small-scale cultivators, who lack the financial resources to join the regulated sector. The Cultivator’s Transitional Special Permit gives individual farmers a two-year window to build out their operations to meet full regulatory standards.

How to qualify

No application or permit fees are required, significantly lowering entry barriers. During this transition period, the CLA will provide hands-on assistance to guide farmers. To qualify, applicants must be at least 18 years old, reside in Jamaica, submit certified passport photos, provide government identification, present a police record, and have access to at least half an acre of land.

For those who do not hold a land title, a formal land lease or written permission agreement from the property owner will be accepted. As it relates to the Special Community Permit, this caters to community groups looking to pool resources and farm collectively.

There are no fees charged by the CLA to obtain this specific permit. The process allows for groups from traditional cultivation communities organised under registered entities to cultivate up to 10 acres of cannabis cooperatively.

CLA Senior Director of Operations, Shandel Hannam, explains that these permits were created for persons who cannot necessarily afford the standard licences to be able to come into the industry, adding, “we find that there are individuals who have been cultivating ganja for years, decades… but you don’t necessarily have the money to come into the industry.”

Speaking during a recent Cannabis Special Permit Islandwide Tour held at the Addison Park Sports Complex in Brown’s Town, Hannam reiterated, “we aim to get you to the point where you can be producing enough [cannabis], as well as produce enough money, so you can own your own licence…The saying that it’s [legal industry] for the rich man will be no more.”

The CLA executive urged farmers to take advantage of the opportunities, emphasising that licenced retail herb houses rely heavily on local cultivators. According to him, “at present, roughly 70 per cent of the industry are retailers. That means you have way more retailers than you have cultivators. So, you see how important you are.”

The islandwide road tour continues as part of ongoing efforts by the CLA to broaden participation in the legal cannabis sector.