Weed Ed | Could Jamaica produce the holy grail of ganja? - Researchers and investors are betting on it

For as long as most people can remember, we've all heard that Jamaica has the best ganja in the world. Rastafarians have long praised its spiritual aura that allows them to tap into other dimensions during meditation.

Fisherfolk have made claims of improved night vision after smoking the weed, and this allows them to better catch their prey. And Jamaican grandmothers are reputed for creating home-made remedies with ganja and other herbs for everything from colds to arthritis.

But what is it exactly about the island that creates these super strains of ganja?

Jamaica's soil, climate and topography all influence the genetic expression of not only ganja, but a number of plants. The Cockpit Country has approximately 70 plant species endemic to that region, and a unique species of bromeliad (wild pine) has been discovered in the Dolphin Head Mountains in Hanover.

To better understand how the environment impacts the plant kingdom on a cellular level, you have to look deeper than just the perceptible environs.

"We have physical, chemical and climatic conditions that are conducive to the formation of certain genotypes and the way they express themselves or phenotypes," said Dr Conrad Douglas.

"The soil type, in combination with the microclimate, lend themselves to produce strains that could be unique to Jamaica," added Douglas.

He explained that the variable chemical composition and rich mineralogy of the soil, along with factors such as light intensity, temperature, rainfall, relative humidity and wind speed and direction may all influence the varieties and chemical compounds of ganja.

The shape of Jamaica's land surface, from windy shores to soaring mountains and vast valleys, also lends itself to specific genomes within the plant. With the microclimatic factors varying based on the geomorphology across the island, this allows for numerous genetic variations and countless possibilities for medicinal ganja.

Those possibilities are what excite researchers and encourage investors.

 

RESEARCH PROJECT

 

Douglas is an applied scientist and board member of the National Foundation for the Development of Science and Technology. In June, the foundation secured a US$2-million investment from the Jamaica Medical Cannabis Collective (JMCC), a Jamaican-Canadian entity.

The funds will be invested in a 10-year research project titled 'Identification, Isolation and Conservation of Local Strains of Cannabis for Medicinal Use'.

The research project is being managed by the National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST) and includes other state entities such as the Scientific Research Council (SRC), the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ), the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO), as well as Caribbean Genetics (Carigen).

The research aims to comprehensively map the indigenous ganja varieties that exist across the island by recording even the most minute detail of growing conditions which produced the strains.

This will allow the researchers to deduce how the environmental conditions impact genetic make-up, chemical profiling and potentially, the plant's efficacy towards treating ailments.

"We want to know what we have and what conditions produce what plants," said Professor Errol Morrison, director general of the NCST.

"Once we can do this with a measure of success, then we can invite other researchers and companies to cultivate based on our topography, which could have economic benefits for the country."

 

TRADITIONAL TALES

 

Traditional tales of ganja for medicine have long been inspiring academic work. The aforementioned story of fisherfolk claiming improved night vision inspired Professor Manley West and Dr Albert Lockhart, in the 1980s, to research the plant's properties attributed to better vision. That research led to the creation of Canasol, a solution that reduces pressure in the eye for glaucoma patients.

To date, Canasol and Asmathol, another cannabis-based product created by West, are the only two cannabis products to have received a patent in Jamaica.

Through its pioneering ganja research since the 1960s, Israel holds numerous medical marijuana patents and has one of the largest seed banks.

According to Dr Shara Watson, director of research and development at the SRC, the conservation of local strains is of national importance and will strengthen Jamaica's global positioning.

"If we're building an industry we must be able to respond to any emergency or natural disaster, so preservation of indigenous strains is of great significance," said Watson.

The SRC has the largest plant gene bank in the Caribbean. Its role in the research is to collect plant samples, identify the chemical profile of each strain, note the environs that produced the strain and record them for posterity through the IOJ's Natural History Division.

The IOJ also preserves the dried ganja flower, with each plant and its profile stored in the institute's herbarium.

The SRC also leads propagation technology using tissue culture cultivation, which allows for genetic consistency from the parent plant. This is particularly important when using ganja for medicine to ensure patients are receiving the intended effect.

 

PLANT GENETICS

 

In-depth ganja research is not new to the island. In 2010, molecular biologist, Dr Wayne McLaughlin led a study on local ganja strains along the south coast between St Elizabeth and Westmoreland. His study revealed that about 95 per cent of all the plants had different genetic composition.

McLaughlin, who is also director of Carigen, says using DNA testing, the lab can tell, at a very early stage, whether a plant will be dominated by THC or CBD, the two most active compounds in ganja.

"By doing a chemical profiling, we can also identify up to nine cannabinoids and 13 terpenes," said McLaughlin.

"Based on medical literature about these compounds, we can then match the terpenoids and cannabinoids with ailments they can possibly address," added McLaughlin.

He noted that if this does happen through the research, it immediately raises the question of ownership rights.

Executive director of JIPO, Lilyclaire Bellamy, says if the research shows indications of a medical breakthrough, a patent application will most likely follow.

Morrison pointed out that the negotiations around IP rights are ongoing but that the main players would include the JMCC, the Government and the source of the plant samples.

In such a scenario, some countries have a Plant Breeders Rights to protect the farmer's interest, and Bellamy noted that a bill has been tabled to establish a similar scheme in Jamaica.

Fieldwork on the research project is expected to begin in January 2019, and at the end of the project, the information will be made available for reference and further research.

The global ganja business is expanding at a tremendous rate, with more investors throwing their money in the herb garden, and it is universally agreed that Jamaica needs more of that investment in research and development.

"Ganja is a truly unique plant, based on its chemical profile and the varieties.

"An investment in research is an investment in the plant's healing properties and the future of the industry," said McLaughlin.