A group of would-be cannabis growers in Jamaica have come together to set up their first ever workers’ union – even though the practice is still very much illegal.

The Ganja Future Growers and Producers Association has held its inaugural assembly in Kingston, where around 300 entrepreneurs and politicians pledged to lobby for the creation of a regulated industry around marijuana to rival those of Venezuela and the US states of Colorado and Washington.

It is an indicator of the influence and growing momentum in favour of legalisation that the meeting, held on Saturday, was overseen by the mayor of Kingston herself.

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Angela Brown-Burke is also a senator and vice president of the ruling People’s National Party, and her husband Paul Burke is also an influential figure in both the party and new union.

The conference included speeches extolling the positives that could come from loosening anti-cannabis laws – given by representatives from the country’s scientific research council, agricultural society and the Jamaican arm of the University of the West Indies (UWI).

“Jamaica has a prime opportunity to enter and revolutionize an industry that could have an enormous kickback on our growth and development potential,” said UWI politics professor Rupert Lewis.

Cannabis has been illegal in Jamaica for 100 years, and many Jamaican speakers at the conference were careful to stress that they did not smoke the substance themselves.

Shape Created with Sketch. Cannabis around the world Show all 13 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Cannabis around the world 1/13 Morocco Farmers destroy cannabis plantations under Moroccan police supervision in the northern Moroccan Larache region, pictured here in 2006 AFP/Getty images 2/13 Colorado Growing business: Cannabis on sale at River Rock Wellness Sam Adams 3/13 Oakland Oaksterdam in Oakland, California, is the world's only university dedicated to the study and cultivation of cannabis Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty Images 4/13 Seattle A cannabis smoker marks the start of the new law by the Space Needle in Seattle Getty Images 5/13 China Cannabis growing wild in China, where it has been used to treat conditions such as gout and malaria 6/13 Uruguay Uruguay has voted to make the country the first to legalize marijuana AFP/Getty 7/13 Colorado A groundswell of support from the public led to full legalisation in Colorado Getty Images 8/13 Berlin A man smokes licenced medicinal marijuana prior to participating in the annual Hemp Parade, or 'Hanfparade', in support of the legalization of marijuana in Germany on August 7, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. The consumption of cannabis in Germany is legal, though all other aspects, including growing, importing or selling it, are not. However, since the introduction of a new law in 2009, the sale and possession of marijuana for licenced medicinal use is legal. Sean Gallup/Getty Images 9/13 UK The UK latest figures show 2.3 million people used cannabis in the last year AP 10/13 Amsterdam Tourists visiting Amsterdam will not be banned from using the city’s famous cannabis cafes Getty Images 11/13 Merseyside These 25 cannabis plants, seized in Merseyside police, could have generated a turnover of £40,000 a year 12/13 San Francisco April 20, 2012: People smoke marijuana joints at 4:20 p.m. as thousands of marijuana advocates gathered at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. The event was held on April 20, a date corresponding with a numerical 4/20 code widely known within the cannabis subculture as a symbol for all things marijuana. Reuters 13/13 Spain A cannabis users' association will pay the town of Rasquera more than €600,000 a year for the lease of the land 1/13 Morocco Farmers destroy cannabis plantations under Moroccan police supervision in the northern Moroccan Larache region, pictured here in 2006 AFP/Getty images 2/13 Colorado Growing business: Cannabis on sale at River Rock Wellness Sam Adams 3/13 Oakland Oaksterdam in Oakland, California, is the world's only university dedicated to the study and cultivation of cannabis Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty Images 4/13 Seattle A cannabis smoker marks the start of the new law by the Space Needle in Seattle Getty Images 5/13 China Cannabis growing wild in China, where it has been used to treat conditions such as gout and malaria 6/13 Uruguay Uruguay has voted to make the country the first to legalize marijuana AFP/Getty 7/13 Colorado A groundswell of support from the public led to full legalisation in Colorado Getty Images 8/13 Berlin A man smokes licenced medicinal marijuana prior to participating in the annual Hemp Parade, or 'Hanfparade', in support of the legalization of marijuana in Germany on August 7, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. The consumption of cannabis in Germany is legal, though all other aspects, including growing, importing or selling it, are not. However, since the introduction of a new law in 2009, the sale and possession of marijuana for licenced medicinal use is legal. Sean Gallup/Getty Images 9/13 UK The UK latest figures show 2.3 million people used cannabis in the last year AP 10/13 Amsterdam Tourists visiting Amsterdam will not be banned from using the city’s famous cannabis cafes Getty Images 11/13 Merseyside These 25 cannabis plants, seized in Merseyside police, could have generated a turnover of £40,000 a year 12/13 San Francisco April 20, 2012: People smoke marijuana joints at 4:20 p.m. as thousands of marijuana advocates gathered at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. The event was held on April 20, a date corresponding with a numerical 4/20 code widely known within the cannabis subculture as a symbol for all things marijuana. Reuters 13/13 Spain A cannabis users' association will pay the town of Rasquera more than €600,000 a year for the lease of the land

Charles Nesson, a Harvard law professor visiting for the talks, described the country’s close links to the culture of marijuana and said the global legalisation movement “needs the leadership of Jamaica”

Nesson, who received a big reaction for admitting he himself smoked cannabis, warned: “But there is a huge danger. And the danger is that you will miss the boat, that you will talk too long.”

The new Jamaican association is starting as some government officials have publicly taken up the idea of loosening restrictions, including Health Minister Fenton Ferguson who said late last year he was “fully on board” with medical marijuana.

Reform supporters believe Jamaica could become a powerhouse in medical marijuana research, a renowned global exporter to nations with legal cannabis and the developer of new pot products.

Local scientists already have a history of creating innovative marijuana-derived medicines, including “Canasol”, which helps relieve pressure in the eyes of glaucoma patients.

But the government itself has provided little clarity on what it intends to do. Technology Minister Phillip Paulwell, the leader of government business in the House, has hinted that cannabis will be decriminalised this year – but reformists are still waiting for something official to be announced.

Additional reporting by AP