Dominican, Dr Machel Emanuel, continues to be a significant contributor to the development of the cannabis industry in the region.
The Cannabis Technical Committee in Jamaica, of which Dr Emanuel is the Vice Chair, was adjudged the 2019 Technical Committee of the Year at the recent staging of the Bureau of Standards Jamaica’s Appreciation Ceremony for Technical Committee (TC) members.
The Cannabis Technical Committee has completed and submitted draft standards for processing and handling of cannabis for medical, scientific and therapeutic use and for packaging and labelling of consumer resin medical cannabis products.
The development of these standards formalizes the production of cannabis for specific uses, and will propel Jamaica onto the world stage with a product that has long been linked to that Caribbean country.
These standards are developed to protect public health and safety while maintaining sound scientific best practices during the production, processing and distribution of cannabis and its derivatives.
According to Dr Emanuel, the development of standards for cannabis is critical for Jamaica and the Caribbean, “in order to maintain its competitive advantage and reputation for producing a high quality product that possesses global demand and credibility”
Is this not cannabis products from hemp production that are being discussed? No THC in this plant; no drug associations. The cannabis oils are anti-inflammatory and alleviate pain. The plants should grow extremely well in Dominica and a regulated product would have a large market.
Dominica does not need a evil weed farm many civilized countrys don’t want any part of it because of harmful illnesses later on in life to young people why should we black people always seems to be taking the evil roads to hell
Rastaman you better cut that crap and come better than that we are not interested in your shxt
Insignificant ‘You’…is not interested, but ‘who’ is u? It’s Progressing nicely without… u.
Legalizing weed anywhere is not profitable (financially) for Black people. Research the Ethiopian Zion Coptic church (Jamaica’s white “rastafarians”) and you guys will see exactly where this industry is heading, exact duplication of the then banana industry. Dominica had one of the most vibrant banana markets back in the day; who profited from it??? THINK!!! Don’t legalize marijuana, it’s a grave mistake!
We got you in your rant below, you are wrong, you do not understand, do your own research. The benefits outway the risks.
Skerrit said ”contrary to what many believe, there’s not a lot of money to be made from cannabis” with such a leader who has no knowledge of how lucrative cannabis is, it’s time for change.
You all would be better off having Cheerios and milk everyday for breakfast.
Sorry the value is 400 million us dollars.
There is no cannabis industry in the region. There is illegal drug trade with pot and cocaine on the increase . Recently the USA coast guard captured a liner with 4,500 US dollar worth of pot and cocaine. These drugs are destroying the lives of young people. They are turning these drugs into vaping which has already killed many young people this year. More young people have to seek treatment in rehab and mental hospitals because of these drugs. Addiction drugs the big money corporations are spending millions to advertise.
If we want to use Jamaica as a model for development we should pay attention to their tourism and coffee industries not their drug trade which is associated with crooks and criminals.
Joseph John, you are associated with CrooKS and criminals, we know from your many political off-topic rants; makes one wonder what you’ve been smoking… I suspect is not weed you addicts smoke since you can’t contribute to a ‘normal’ conversation.
Anon, you are right about me. That is why I can write about all this stuff.
Anon do you know about Sir Henry Morgan who became the Governor of Jamaica. He was the biggest pirate in the Caribbean, so when the British wanted to stop piracy who do you think they picked. Port Royal in Jamaica was the Head Quarters of piracy. Well the Chief of pirates stop piracy.
So if you say that I am all those things you mentioned,….hip hip hurray .
You thought I was going to insult you in return. Man, you are a blue little fish hiding behind a fake name.
Are you daft? No market in he region? The tourism boost alone will be enough, then the textile industry we can build here, making building Materials from hemp, medication from the flowers, fuel for cars. Proper regulation of selling and growing like any other product is what is needed. Your comment brings off an air of fear mongering and ignorance. Do some unbiased research into the benefits of the plant. It is time to move past the racist laws that we copied from the Regan administrative and start being forward thinking like the rest of civilized open minded people. STOP MAKING DOMINICANS LOOK BACKWARDS.
Good article and well presented. Make it a two way business. Before sending people to Dominica on a crash course, why not invited Dominica to Kington to witnessed the Camaroons.It is not who you know,but,this time, is what you can see. The country was put under the same pressure to legalized tobacco and now,cigarettes are the world number one enemy. If you eat from that tree, you will have the same power as him but, it did not work for Adam and Eve.
Congratulations Dr Emmanuel! You continue to make your family and Dominica proud. With your Dominican roots , maybe you can encourage the Dominican authorities to speed up the channels towards legalizing medical marijuana products in Dominica.
Meanwhile in Dominica Skerrit playing politics saying he is ‘going’ to decriminalize small amounts, more election lies just like last election, fake promises
Given our terrain and history with our climate almost identical to Jamaica, can our government not see an opportunity? We already have a Dominican in a strategic position can we not find an oasis to lobby that committee? Can we not arrange to get a slice of that market? Would it be too difficult to get a plant established locally to source the resins from this plant, even in its crude form and then ship same to Jamaica for its extraction and purification until we acquire the skill of extraction and purification?
Is it too early to send about 12 young men/women for a six month crash course to Jamaica to be trained on the extraction of the resins? we need to be proactive, not reactive.
This would certainly fall under the umbrella of an agroindustry. Mr Linton please add to your manifesto.
Are you kidding. You think we can benefit in a trade that is like dog eat dog competition. We would become users and importers.
Then we would find ourselves black listed and derisk. Or even worst.
How simplistic? The world was considered flat till a few decided to think outside of the box and move away from there comfort zone. I submit that where there is a will there is a way. Let’s try to rid negativism from our mindset please!!! Where there is a will, there got to be a way.
Not all people considered the world flat. Some traders and those bordering the Mediterranean sea and building empires did. Some scientist(s) who invented the telescope and the Vikings knew that this was just effective propaganda.
I am convinced of one thing that that all this talk of ganga is just to make money, big money.
There is no scientific studies to show that it is a cure it all. Smoking ganger is a recreation and a bad habit like cigarette that kills.
I know of 3 Dominicans who died because of its excessive use. Two National Geography Magazines recently condemn the idea that it is a cure all safe medicine.
Common sense should warn us that inhaling smoke will harm your lungs and the smoke will get to your brain in the same way that rum make you drunk. Smoke can blind you and you can die from smoke inhalation. Cllose to someone smoking weed you get a contact high. Weed smoke will kill children and babies. IT POLUTES THE BODY and make you sick and dead.
It’s no wonder you pessimists advise these guys to simply stick to one thing, sell passports only, where u can easily get a cut and move on. Smfh
If you’re Dominican and lived during the banana industry, you should remember it was very vibrant. Did Dominica profit from that industry?
Don’t legalize weed, it’s a bad idea! I am a Rastaman and don’t smoke because smoking is very bad for your health, lungs and upper respiratory.
Exhaust smoke from Many is the vehicles we drive causes several actual deaths each year, yet I do not support making cars illegal. The benefits outway the risks.
Sugar is a better approach than bananas. Sugar was taken from all the West Indian Islands ( Caribbean ) completely. Imperial Sugar, USA, took sugar to Florida, Texas and Louisiana. They even had a University in Louisiana where they studied sugar as a major.
Then they abandon cane sugar and turned to beet sugar and chemical sweeteners that spike diabetes and high blood pressure.
Planting ganga is the only farming activity that is illegal in Dominica, so if you like planting there are lots of other plants to make a living wage . You can even plant flowers. If you like Agriculture there are many food types you could plant also you can go fishing of raise poultry and pigs. Its not like ganga is a must because there is not anything else.
That’s ok if you’d rather buy a car and breathe all that exhaust smoke for healthier lungs, but we’re not going to make cars illegal. Breath on Rasta.