Seiveright: Cannabis Permit Road Tour Aims to Widen Regulated Market Access

Hon. Delano Seiveright, Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, characterised the Government’s overhaul of the cannabis sector as intentional, accessible to ordinary people, and designed to weigh commercial gains against Jamaica’s international commitments.

Addressing growers, investors and state partners at the July 10 launch of the Special Cannabis Permit Road Tour, held at Newell High School in St. Elizabeth, he observed that “our reforms are taking place at an interesting moment in history. Around the world, cannabis policy is changing rapidly”.

The tour’s aim, he explained, is to unveil fresh permit classes that will give authorised Jamaican participants firmer entry into the expanding multibillion-dollar United States market.

Pointing to Canada’s legalisation of adult-use cannabis, growing medical cannabis schemes across Europe, and shifting state-level programmes in the United States, Mr. Seiveright framed the moment as a worldwide policy shift. Jamaica, he insisted, must set its own path and should not “copy and paste what others do”. The national strategy, in his view, is to align economic openings with treaty duties while safeguarding the island’s standing abroad.

He emphasised that the Road Tour extends beyond permit distribution. It is meant to educate communities on the ground so everyday Jamaicans—above all traditional growers—grasp both the prospects and the conditions of joining the regulated medicinal cannabis trade.

The Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) will travel across the island, speaking with cultivators, fielding queries, outlining how to apply, and supplying technical advice intended to draw more participants into the lawful market. “The more people understand the rules, the more people can participate successfully,” Mr. Seiveright said.

He pressed growers, business founders and investors to “know the law” and operate within it, arguing that adherence protects capital, credibility, households and the long-term health of Jamaica’s cannabis sector.

Warning against “misinformation, disinformation, confusion” and promises of instant wealth, he advised people to check facts carefully before transferring funds, endorsing papers, dedicating land or entering any arrangement. Clarity, not opacity, is the Government’s goal, he said, with regulators ready to settle doubts and counter unverified claims.

Lasting success in the sector, he noted, depends on enterprises grounded in sound practice—accurate bookkeeping, solid governance, product standards, staff development, brand building and regard for customers.

Mr. Seiveright paid tribute to the CLA’s leadership and to other contributors, stressing that no single ministry can construct the industry alone and urging sustained collaboration with stakeholders. He called on cultivators to take up the opening, establish trustworthy ventures and help shape a trade Jamaica can value for decades ahead, and directed those needing help to the CLA’s website and the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce.