A release from the agriculture ministry,  said the cannabis oil  shipment to Canada marked the first step in positioning Jamaica as the medical marijuana hub for the world, and was authorised through an import permit issued by the Government of Canada through Health Canada for Jamaica and an export permit issued by the Ministry of Health in Jamaica.

The Agriculture and Industry minister said “Jamaica is uniquely positioned to be a global player and we are committed to providing the leadership and resources required for opening the international markets including Canada and Europe for our licensed and regulated Jamaican companies”.

Minister Shaw's statement was  endorsed by the CEO of the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA), Lincoln Allen, who  also identified international export opportunities as a major target for the CLA.

Allen said the CLA is fulfilling its mandate as well as a commitment to enabling the timely development of a regulatory framework to position Jamaica as a global leader for the export of cannabis for medical and scientific purposes.

The import permit from Health Canada was obtained on behalf of Jamaican-based licensed producer Timeless Herbal Care who was then granted an export permit by the Ministry of Health in Jamaica.

President and CEO of Timeless Herbal Care Courtney Betty, said the accomplishment of landing the first shipment of extracted oil, which was cultivated and extracted at the company’s facilities in Jamaica, is a fulfillment of a mission that began five years ago.

“This was made possible by our commitment to the development of small farmers and local communities and through partnerships such as our Research at the University of Technology. Our international partners such as Open Vape and Mount Sinai Hospital are also helping to guide us in producing the highest grade extracted oil which can be used for clinical trials leading to the development of medicinal products for the world,” Betty was quoted as saying.

With this announcement and the commitment of the Government of Jamaica as well as several other key programmes to be announced shortly, Jamaica is rapidly moving to take its rightful place in the fast growing medical marijuana industry globally, said the agriculture ministry.