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Cannabis Licensing Authority issues 50th licence

Published:Saturday | December 7, 2019 | 12:12 AM
Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Audley Shaw (centre) hands over the Cannabis Licensing Authority’s (CLA) 50th licence for operations in the local medical cannabis industry to director of Outlier Biopharma Limited, Brian Thelwell (right), on Wednesday) at the CLA’s New Kingston offices. Sharing in the moment is Chief Executive Officer, CLA, Lincoln Allen.
Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Audley Shaw (centre) hands over the Cannabis Licensing Authority’s (CLA) 50th licence for operations in the local medical cannabis industry to director of Outlier Biopharma Limited, Brian Thelwell (right), on Wednesday) at the CLA’s New Kingston offices. Sharing in the moment is Chief Executive Officer, CLA, Lincoln Allen.

The Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) has issued its 50th licence for operations in the medical cannabis industry.

The Montego Bay-based Outlier Biopharma Limited was presented with the permit to operate a retail herbal house (without facility for consumption) during a ceremony on Wednesday, at the CLA’s New Kingston offices.

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Audley Shaw commended the CLA on the milestone, and hailed Outlier Biopharma for joining the growing local cannabis sector.

FAST-MOVING INDUSTRY

“The industry is moving fast. Even as we celebrate this 50th licence, it’s not a licence for us to slow down; it’s actually an opportunity for us to speed up. That we must do, because the industry is moving fast globally,” he said.

Shaw noted that he will be seeking to fast-track the regulations for the export of cannabis.

“I’m going to be making a call to the chief parliamentary counsel … so that we can begin to promulgate our exports,” he said.

Director of Outlier Biopharma, Brian Thelwell, said his company wants to be one of the leading cannabis entities in Jamaica, “and we plan to be a model company globally”.

“Today represents the first stone being laid to pave the way,” he said.

Thelwell said that the company has plans to create an eco-friendly sustainable zone in Lethe, Hanover, which will be further developed into a holistic and ecotourism destination.

CLA is an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries that was established in 2015 under the Dangerous Drug [Amendment] Act with a specific role to establish and regulate Jamaica’s legal cannabis and hemp industry.